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Kelvin Sampson's Houston Cougars are ranked No. 3 in the nation and are a defensive dynamo ready for the NCAA tournament.
With only three losses on the season, there's basically no chance for Houston to end up outside the NCAA tournament. More at issue is how the Cougars could fare in the tournament. Here's an early look at Houston, with March Madness in mind.
Will Houston make the 2024 NCAA tournament?
Yes, they certainly will. The Cougars are 22-3. Even with four of their last six games coming against teams currently in the top 25, Houston is stout.
Houston hasn't dropped below seventh in the AP poll all season, and its only three losses have been a trio of road games in conference (Kansas, TCU and Iowa State).
Houston's defense-first mode of play gives most opponents fits. In March, with the tournament's emphasis on grinding out competitive wins, it stands to reason that the Cougars might be even better than they have been so far.
Houston NCAA Tournament history
Houston has reached six Final Fours, with the last coming in 2021. While the Cougars lost consecutive NCAA title games in 1983 and 1984, they are yet to win an NCAA championship.
Houston has reached the Sweet 16 in the last four NCAA tournaments. The Cougars are 38-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Houston lost in an upset in the Sweet 16, falling as a No. 1 seed to No. 5 seed Miami, 89-75.
Houston March Madness Odds
Houston has odds between +800 and +1000 to win the 2024 NCAA tournament. The Cougars have odds between +200 and +225 to reach the Final Four.
Teamrankings.com projects Houston with a 100% chance of making the NCAA Tournament and an 85.8% chance of earning a No. 1 seed.
Houston Basketball Strengths
It's all about defense. The Cougars lead the nation in scoring defense, holding foes to 55.0 ppg.
It's not a fluke. They also hold opponents to the lowest shooting percentage (37.2%) in the nation and the tenth lowest 3-point percentage (28.8%). The Cougars force 16.0 turnovers per game and commit just 8.7 per game. That should translate to March.
Offensively, Houston isn't remarkable but is led by a trio of experienced guards. Seniors LJ Cryer (15.3 ppg) and Jamal Shead (12.8 ppg, 5.8 apg) with Emmanuel Sharp (12.3 ppg) make a tough backcourt. Houston has the kind of leadership in the backcourt to go deep in the tournament.
Houston Basketball Weaknesses
Size could be an issue. Houston doesn't use a player over six-foot-eight in its normal rotation and hasn't played one over six-foot-nine at all.
Offense is a concern. As a team, Houston shoots 43.4%, which is 255th in the NCAA. They're also a poor free throw shooting team (67.7%, 313th in the NCAA). Houston could be vulnerable to a hot-shooting opponent.
Houston's Quadrant Records
Houston is No.1 in the NCAA's NET rankings. The Cougars have an 8-3 record in quadrant 1 games.
They are then 2-0 in quadrant 2 matchups, 5-0 in quadrant 3 games and 7-0 against opponents in quadrant 4 contests. Given their remaining schedule, Houston might not get a damaging loss and could add a couple of significant wins.
Where do you think Houston will be seeded in the NCAA Tournament? Can the Cougars make a deep run? Let us know if the comment section below.
