5. Houston (21-4)
They aren’t perfect and the year got off to a shaky start, but Houston has simply taken care of business throughout this season, especially since Big 12 play began. The Cougars actually had won 13 games in a row before a slip-up a few weeks ago in overtime, but Auburn remains the only program in the nation to beat this team in regulation.
We saw the Cougars demonstrate their strength on Monday night, getting a 76-65 win over Baylor. Five different players scored in double figures, including 14 points from LJ Cryer, as the Cougars survived a hot-shooting night from the Bears in a double-digit win. What transpired on Saturday was even sweeter, as the Cougars went on the road, getting a 62-58 victory against a ranked Arizona team that’s been playing great ball. Milos Uzan had 19 points and 5 assists and it was another great day for Houston basketball.
Two of Houston’s four losses came to the teams currently in the top two spots in the national rankings, with that 13-1 mark in the Big 12 really showing their talent and resolve in recent weeks. The Cougars showed again that they’re still the best team in this league and just keep putting up efficient offense and shutdown defensive efforts. They stay west with a game at Arizona State on Tuesday, though the big one on the calendar next weekend is their matchup against Iowa State.