Houston Cougars Secure Home-Court Advantage in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 10th, Houston Cougars are gearing up for another strong run in the NCAA tournament after a solid regular season finish at 26 wins and. Five losses overall, including 14 wins and four losses in the Big 12 conference, that put them second in the standings and earned them the number 5 spot in this week's AP poll. Conference tournaments are underway, setting the stage for March madness. CVS Sports released their latest bracketology projections right after the rankings dropped, placing Houston as a number 2 seed in the South region. This is a big deal because the South Regional Games for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will be at the Toyota Center, right in downtown Houston, giving the Cougars a real home court edge if they advance that far. Fans and analysts see this as the best possible draw over a top seed in a distant region. Houston has reached the final 4 7 times before, mostly from the Midwest, but a number 2 or 3 seed at home, trumps that every time.

1:00The team gave up hosting duties earlier to focus on this advantage. The South region won't be a cakewalk though, with Florida as the top seed. Remember, the Gators beat Houston 65 to 63 in last year's National Championship Game. Produced hits at number 3, Big 12 rival Kansas at number 5, North Carolina at 6, and others like St. Mary's and UCLA rounding out a tough field. A strong showing in the Big 12 tournament should lock in that seed in region for Houston, keeping their championship dreams alive with the energy of their home crowd behind them.