Nightmare bracket scenario for Houston basketball in 2025 NCAA Tournament
Yesterday at 05:33 PM
The Houston basketball program is one of the top clubs historically in the country. The club has not one, not two, not three…but six appearances in the Final Four. Houston doesn’t however have a national championship.
That may change this season. The Cougars just won the Big 12 conference and look as good as anyone in the country. Houston basketball went an astonishing 19-1 in the conference during the regular season, before cutting up opponents in the league tournament.
Houston is also set to become a no. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament this year, once the brackets are revealed on Selection Sunday. Their excellence stems from having the top scoring defense in the conference. It also happens to be the second-best scoring defense in the country, per the NCAA. Houston is allowing only 58.5 points per game.
That doesn’t mean that Houston basketball is flawless. There is one glaring flaw with this team-that it can struggle to shoot the basketball. Houston finished ninth in the Big 12 this season in scoring offense, per league stats.
Houston basketball is also dealing with some significant injury news. J’Wan Roberts is dealing with an ankle problem and will be re-evaluated Monday to see if he can play in the Round of 64. He missed the team’s last two games.
The Cougars need Roberts. He is the team’s leading rebounder and fourth leading scorer.
Considering this injury and the squad’s offensive output, there is a nightmare bracket scenario for Houston basketball this season.
Tennessee in their region could hurt Houston’s shot at a Final Four
For Houston to reach a Final Four, the team is going to need some favorable matchups. One team that wouldn’t be a good matchup for the Cougars is Tennessee out of the SEC.
Tennessee has a chance to be a no. 1 seed, which would mean Houston wouldn’t have to face them until a Final Four in San Antonio. But the Volunteers may end up as a no. 2 seed, meaning Houston could play them in their region.
Tennessee basketball is a hard matchup for Houston because of their defense. The Volunteers are eighth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 62.3 points per game. That’s also good enough for no. 1 in the very difficult SEC.
If Houston and Tennessee go at it in the tournament, expect a low-scoring affair. Houston would need to hit some shots in order to get a victory in that scenario. If Roberts can’t play for Houston, that makes a difficult situation even worse.
There is another team that could lead to a nightmare scenario for Houston.
Houston would love to avoid playing Duke in March Madness
The Cougars would also love to not have to go through Duke at any point toward a national championship. Like Tennessee, the Blue Devils boast an outstanding defense.
Duke basketball is actually ahead of Tennessee in the category of scoring defense. The Blue Devils are sixth in that category nationally, allowing only 61.9 points per game. That’s the best in the ACC, and the second-best nationally among power 4 programs. Only Houston is ahead of Duke in terms of stringent scoring defense.
Another reason why Houston shouldn’t want to play Duke, is because the Blue Devils have arguably the best player in this tournament in Cooper Flagg. Flagg is considered by many to be the no. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. He’s averaging 18.9 points per game this year and 7.5 rebounds.
Flagg is also dealing with an injury, but is expected to play in March Madness. That will surely bring some fear to not just Houston, but every other team in this event.
No matter what happens in March Madness, Houston fans have something to be proud of. The team has won 30 games now for four consecutive seasons. That is just astounding. Kelvin Sampson won Big 12 Coach of the Year, and looks to go to his third Final Four in his illustrious career.
Time will tell if Houston basketball can finally earn a national title.
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