College basketball ratings: Houston Cougars nation's No. 1 team entering 2024-25 season
Is this the year Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars will cut down the nets?
After winning 125 games over the last four seasons, the Cougars return one of the most talented and experienced college basketball teams in the country.
Led by fifth-year senior guard L.J. Cryer, Houston was picked to finish second in the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason poll behind Kansas. They're ranked No. 4 in the country in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
But KenPom thinks they're No. 1.
In his preseason college basketball ratings - which factor in offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency and tempo - KenPom has Houston No. 1 by a significant margin. The Cougars adjusted defensive efficiency rating is 84.7, nearly three points better than Duke at 87.4.
Babe, wake up... 2024-25 KenPom rankings just dropped 👀 pic.twitter.com/IuwoOThyag
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) October 14, 2024
The Cougars again have the pieces to be one of the best defensive teams in the nation. With Cryer, fifth-year senior forward J'Wan Roberts and junior guard Emanuel Sharp leading the way, Houston should be in position to lead the nation in scoring defense for the second consecutive.
Add four-star high school recruits Mercy Miller and Chae McCarty, as well as Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan, and Sampson enters the 2024-25 season with arguably his most talented team.
Houston tips off its season Monday, Nov. 4 with a home game against Jackson State.
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.