2. Houston (1-seed)
It’s been another remarkable season for a Houston squad making their sixth consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Kelvin Sampson has truly outdone himself here in recent years, winning a second straight Big 12 title in the Cougars’ second year in this league. Not only has Houston made a great first impression in their new league but they’ve been winners and are one of the nation’s hottest teams.
The only game that Houston has lost since the end of November was an overtime game against Texas Tech on February 1st. They went 19-1 in Big 12 play and won their first Big 12 Tournament title. LJ Cryer has been playing on another level recently while Milos Uzan has fit incredibly with this lineup. Houston boasts one of the nation’s top defenses as well and continue to be a major threat.
The Cougars didn’t sweat their opening game against 16-seed SIU Edwardsville, though they were challenged by a very strong Gonzaga team on Saturday. The Cougars gave up 75 points for just the third time this season but found enough offense to topple the Bulldogs and return to the Sweet Sixteen again.
Still boasting the nation’s top defense, Houston remains a heavy favorite in this field. Gonzaga may have been an 8-seed but the analytics really loved the Bulldogs and the road ahead might be smoother now for the Cougars. Houston made the Final Four back in 2021 and this new hungry team may be on the verge of a return trip.