NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, BYU falls, and Virginia rises in latest top-25 power ranking

4. Houston Cougars – 10-0

After getting a scare against Xavier, Houston had a couple of easier games this past week against mid-major opponents. The first one was against Rice, a new AAC program. They proved to be no match offensively for the Cougars, shooting just 29% from the field and scoring 39 points total in a 36-point blowout.

LJ Cryer led the team with 15 pts, with Ja’Vier Sharp, Emanuel Sharp, and Damian Dunn all in double figures. Point guard Jamal Shead only had five points on the night but did dish out eight assists. Their next opponent was Jackson State, a team from the SWAC but who had already gotten a power conference victory over Missouri a few weeks ago.

However, Houston wouldn’t be their next victim. A dominant effort on the boards and 22 forced turnovers allowed the favorites to get the 89-55 win. Sharp led all scorers with 25 points in 22 minutes played, while Cryer had 21. The bench altogether had 22 points, led by 10 from Mylik Wilson.

One complaint about the Cougars is that they haven’t had the toughest schedule to start the season out with. But their next foe will be their toughest, taking on Texas A&M in a neutral site matchup. A convincing win there will get some of those doubters on the positive side of the talk about Houston.