Houston guard Jamal Shead (1) and the Cougars are the Midwest Region's No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Houston spent seven weeks atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll, a perch they havenβt seen since 1983.
And even with a loss to Memphis in Sundayβs American Athletic Conference title game, the Cougars are still the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, sporting a 31-3 record, which is tied with Florida Atlantic and the College of Charleston for best record of all 68 teams in the Big Dance.
The Cougars open up the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against 16-seeded Northern Kentucky (22-12) in Birmingham, Ala.
Houston has the second-best scoring defense in the nation, giving up just 56.5 points per game. The Cougars have only allowed more than 70 points just three times this season.
Houston currently has the best odds to win the national championship, according to DraftKings, sitting at +500.
To do that, however, it'll need to potentially get through No. 2 Texas (26-8), which just beat Kansas for the Big 12 tournament title. The Longhorns are +1400 odds to win the national championship. No. 3-seeded Xavier (25-9) out of the Big East is +4000 (40-1) odds, while No. 4 Indiana (22-11) out of the Big Ten is +3500.
FrontPageBets breaks down what you need to know about the Midwest Region.
Most interesting first-round matchup
No. 8 Iowa (19-13) vs. No. 9 Auburn (20-12); Thursday
The 8-9 game sets up every tournament to be the most competitive, with the winner having to face the top seed in the region. This yearβs Midwest Region first-round game should be no different between the Big Ten and SEC squads.
The Hawkeyes are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the Big Dance, while Auburn is playing for the fourth time in five seasons. The Tigers made the Final Four in 2019.
For Auburn, this one should be as close to a home game as a team can get in the NCAA Tournament, as their playing in Birmingham, Ala., just about 100 miles up Highway 280.
Team to watch: Texas A&M
Despite losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game Sunday, Texas A&M, a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region, is a team that many donβt want to see in the NCAA Tournament.
And 10th-seeded Penn State (22-13) will draw the Aggies in the first round Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.
In his fourth year in College Station, Buzz Williams has Texas A&M (25-9) as dangerous a team as any heading into March.
This yearβs team is just the sixth in program history to get to at least 25 wins. The Aggies did it last year as well, winning 27 games, but missed out on making the NCAAs. This is their first appearance since 2018.
Texas A&M can get to the free-throw line more than any other team in the country and make more as well, averaging 25.3 free throws a game and making 19.2 of them.
Sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV leads A&M, averaging 16.6 points per game, which was third-best in the SEC this season. He was also fourth in the conference in assists, averaging 4.0 a game.
The Aggies have won 10 of their last 12 games.
Final Four pick
Despite hitting a speed bump in their conference tournament loss to Memphis, Houston is β and has been β one of the best teams in the nation week in and week out.
Their road to the Final Four, which will be played in Houston, isnβt as difficult as other region No. 1 seeds may face. The Cougars will have to get past either Texas or Xavier to make it a homecoming.
The biggest question mark for Houston is how long will it take for AAC player of the year Marcus Sasser, who strained his groin on Saturday in the conference semifinals, to be back 100%.
While they wait, their defense is up to the challenge.
The pick: Houston
Can Alabama, the region and the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, make it to their first-ever Final Four?
2023 NCAA Tournament: FrontPageBets breaks down the East Region
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