NCAA Basketball: Tennessee, Baylor, Illinois rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
3. Houston (22-3)
No matter how you slice it, Houston has done marvelously in their first season in the Big 12. They began the year with fourteen straight wins and have played well in league play, dropping three tough games away from home but looking really lethal on their home court. Could this end up being a really special season down in Houston?
Already sitting pretty in the Big 12, the Cougars secured another win over the weekend, dropping Texas in an 82-61 victory. Houston remained perfect at home, getting 26 points in another fine effort from L. J. Cryer, one of the nation’s best guards. The Cougars also benefited from 16 points and 11 rebounds from Jamal Shead and a 15-point performance from Emmanuel Sharp. Those three guards are about as good as it comes this season for a backcourt in the nation.
Not only are the Cougars sitting pretty with 22 wins already, they’re tied at the top of the Big 12 standings in their first year in the league. With their success in recent years this isn’t a major surprise, but seeing them do it at this level is still astonishing. Their elite defense hasn’t quite played at the same level in league play, but we’ll see what they can do against league leader Iowa State this upcoming Monday before an important trip to Baylor next weekend.