15. Houston (4-3)
Early indications were that Houston would be a top team in the nation again this season, though obviously their current record doesn’t really support that early hypothesis. This Cougars squad is still looking for their go-to guy after losing legends like Jamal Shead and Marcus Sasser from recent years but have the talent to absolutely contend for national glory when they figure things out.
The first problem came Tuesday in the first round of the Players Era Festival with an 85-80 overtime loss against an elite Alabama team, all in spite of LJ Cryer’s 30-point effort. Their Las Vegas trip fared better the following day, winning 65-54 over Notre Dame to get back on track. Emmanuel Sharp led the charge with 17 points while Milos Uzan neared a double-double. The final game in that event ended poorly as well, with a hard-fought 73-70 overtime loss against San Diego State, despite 23 points from Sharp and another 21 out of Cryer.
Having three November losses is underwhelming for a Houston team that was hoping to build on last season’s Big 12 title. They hung with Alabama and Auburn, who look like two of the best teams in the nation this season, though the letdown against the Aztecs is certainly disappointing. Regardless, Houston must shake off the struggles from that Vegas trip before they face Butler in the Big 12/Big East Battle, though the difficult part of their nonconference schedule is definitely over.