Houston Cougars: 31-3, 16-2 in the American Athletic Conference
Head coach: Kelvin Sampson (5th season)
Players to watch: Corey Davis Jr. (16.8 PPG, 38.7 3PT%); Armoni Brooks (13.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG); Galen Robinson Jr. (8.0 PPG, 5.0 APG)
Season recap: Houston couldn't have started its season much better. The Cougars ripped off 15 straight wins to begin the year, including three wins against power-conference opposition in Oregon, Oklahoma State and LSU. Add in a double-digit victory against Utah State, one of the country's top mid-major programs, and Kelvin Sampson's squad was cruising as conference play got underway.
But after two home wins, Houston finally saw its perfect start come to an end. Temple knocked off the Cougars in Philadelphia, as the Owls drew a charge on Corey Davis Jr. on what would've been a game-tying layup. Houston responded, however, winning 12 straight, half of which featured double-figure victory margins.
A loss to Central Florida on the season's penultimate weekend opened the door for Cincinnati to take out the Cougars in the teams' finale and share the American regular-season crown. Instead, Houston went on the road and grabbed an emphatic 85-69 victory to cap off its campaign.
How they make a run: The Cougars build on their 2017-18 season, in which they were a buzzer-beater shy of making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1984, as they lean on Davis to return to the days of Phi Slamma Jamma and get back to the Final Four.
How they falter: Houston struggles with a major-conference opponent and the memories of last year haunt the Cougars as they get knocked out in the opening weekend once again.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."