Short of a deep dive into team rosters, many predictions of competitive strength are based, at least initially, on past performance, recruiting ratings, and perhaps their coach’s reputation.
Houston, for instance, is by all accounts a formidable opponent. The Cougars play in the AAC (American Athletic Conference). While not quite a power league the AAC includes several estimable programs. Houston, which beat Duke in a closed scrimmage a few weeks back, visits Virginia on Dec. 17.
The once and once-again mighty Cougars, ranked third this preseason, are led by the same coach, Kelvin Sampson, who took Houston to the Elite Eight in 2021 and 2022.