Houston improved to 17-1 on Sunday with a 103-73 win over Arizona State that extended the Cougars’ winning streak to 11 games and allowed them to remain No. 9 in Monday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. But it should be noted that since Dec. 1 Kelvin Sampson’s program is 10-0 and rating as the best team in the country, according to BartTorvik.com. That suggests Houston is trending in the right direction, per usual.
“We’re just doing what we do every year,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. “We just get better.”
Which is scary for the rest of the Big 12.
College basketball’s three undefeated teams win Saturday, but we predict two more fall before January ends
Kyle Boone
Yes, Arizona is No. 1 in the Top 25 And 1 for the ninth consecutive day — but, as I said on Inside College Basketball earlier this month, if I had to pick a national champion right now, I’d go with Houston. The Cougars have an all-time great coach still operating at an elite level at the age of 70 years old, roster-continuity from year-to-year and multiple five-star freshmen who double as projected top-20 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. In other words, Houston has good roster-balance and everything else a team typically needs to march through that 68-team bracket.
Last season, they won five games in it. This season, my prediction is that they’ll ultimately win six games in it, cut nets and solidify Sampson’s place in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
