The Houston Cougars have clinched a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, positioning themselves as one of the top contenders in the competition. The announcement came during the CBS March Madness Selection Show, revealing UH as the top seed in the South Region.
Their journey in the tournament begins with a matchup against Big South champion Longwood in the first round, scheduled for Friday in Memphis. Should they advance, the Cougars could potentially face Texas A&M in the Round of 32. The Aggies, securing the No. 9 seed in the South Region, will take on No. 8 seed Nebraska in their opening game on Friday. Notably, Houston previously defeated Texas A&M 70-66 in a December showdown at Toyota Center.
Despite a setback in the Big 12 tournament championship game, where they suffered a 28-point defeat against Iowa State, the Cougars’ impressive season record speaks volumes about their caliber. They clinched the outright regular-season championship in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball and currently lead the country in NET ranking and Quad 1 wins (16).
Joining the Cougars from Texas in the NCAA tournament are Texas Tech, TCU, Texas, and Baylor. Texas Tech, seeded No. 6 in the South Region, will face No. 11 seed North Carolina State on Thursday. TCU, seeded No. 9 in the Midwest Region, is set to play Mountain West regular-season champion Utah State on Friday. No. 7 seed Texas will await the winner of Virginia and Colorado State in the Midwest Region, also on Thursday. Meanwhile, Baylor secured the No. 3 seed in the West Region and will square off against Colgate on Friday, adding to the Lone Star State’s representation in the tournament.
