8. Houston (10-3)
This sport is about wins and losses, though the analytics have recently really favored what the Cougars have done on the court. Even with three losses in November, Houston has looked the part of a great team once again and is riding a nice winning streak into Big 12 play as a result. They lost those three prime opportunities before league play, but the Cougars certainly will have their chances in one of the nation’s best basketball leagues.
Their conference opener went quite well back on Monday, as Houston came away with a 60-47 road win at Oklahoma State. J’Wan Roberts had 20 points and 11 rebounds while a nice 18-point effort from LJ Cryer helped get the job done on the road. Houston was even better on Saturday afternoon, winning 86-55 over BYU. Emmanuel Sharp led a balanced attack with 18 points as the Cougars shot just under 50% from the field.
You can easily argue that this year’s Houston team is a step or two behind last year’s that won the Big 12. A few major pieces are gone from those recent seasons, though there’s still a lot to like about this team plays the game. Now riding a six-game winning streak, the Cougars are looking the part and have a very winnable stretch going forward. After hosting TCU, the Cougars head to Kansas State and have a legitimate shot to stockpile wins here.