NCAA Basketball: UConn, Iowa State, Auburn rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
2. Houston (30-4)
All that Houston has done this season has been impressive. Kelvin Sampson’s program has been at another level in recent years, but they’ve been doing it in the Big 12 this season. The Cougars won the Big 12 regular season title, stacked up impressive performances, and certainly look like one of the favorites yet again in the Big Dance.
They were in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament and started off with a 60-45 win over TCU in the semifinals. Avenging a January loss, the Cougars got 14 points from Emanuel Sharp and imposed their will defensively. Things were even more fruitful in the semifinals, with an 82-59 win against Texas Tech featuring 20 points from L. J. Cryer and 17 more from Sharp. The wheels came off in their first Big 12 finals, with Houston being outworked in a 69-41 loss to Iowa State.
It’s been an incredible journey this season for the Cougars and it’s certainly not finished. That loss to Iowa State ended an 11-game winning streak that included wins over those same Cyclones, Kansas, Baylor, and a few other Big 12 teams we’ll see in the Big Dance. Houston is battle-tested, plays great on both sides of the ball, and will be ready for their moment. They just need to put Saturday’s performance out of their minds and this team could be playing into April.