Are we ready to put Houston in the elite tier of college basketball this season?
Auburn and Duke have been staples at the top of our Power Rankings for several weeks, with Iowa State in the mix. And while Tennessee has faded, Alabama and its ultratalented roster is moving up. But Houston also belongs in this discussion.
The Cougars lost three games in November and fell dramatically in the standings, clocking in as low as No. 17 in the Associated Press poll. And because of their schedule, they didn't play any opponent that would move the needle -- until Saturday at Kansas, when they surged back from down six points in the final seconds of both regulation and overtime to come out of Allen Fieldhouse with a win, which they followed up with a comfortable victory at West Virginia on Wednesday.