The Houston Cougars are 26-1. Sure, they play in an AAC that's in the midst of a down year, but 26-1 is a heck of an accomplishment. And there's a decent chance the Cougars won't lose another regular season game.
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We researched the college basketball archives of the past 15 years and found every team that finished the regular season with one loss or fewer. The full list:
| Year | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Gonzaga | 29-1 |
| 2014-15 | Kentucky | 31-0 |
| 2013-14 | Wichita State | 31-0 |
| 2011-12 | Kentucky | 30-1 |
| 2011-12 | Murray State | 28-1 |
| 2011-12 | Syracuse | 30-1 |
| 2007-08 | Memphis | 30-1 |
| 2005-06 | George Washington | 26-1 |
| 2004-05 | Illinois | 29-1 |
Houston has four regular season games remaining. Here they are, along with the projected scores via KenPom. You'll notice KenPom projects the Cougars to lose their last game of the season — a road affair at Cincinnati. If they can go unblemished, though, they'll become the 10th team to finish the regular season with one loss or fewer in the last 15 years.
| Date | Opponent | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 27 | @East Carolina | W, 74-58 |
| March 2 | UCF | W, 69-61 |
| March 7 | SMU | W, 76-62 |
| March 9 | @Cincinnati | L, 64-63 |
Houston defeated Cincinnati by a score of 65-58 on Feb. 10, but the Bearcats haven't lost a home game since the opening night of the season against Ohio State. Circle March 9 on the calendar.
Here are a few more tidbits about the Cougars.
- Houston has the No. 12 defense in the country, per KenPom. It leads college basketball in effective field goal percentage defense (42.0).
- The Cougars struggle to force turnovers, but they're lights out in just about every other defensive category. Opponents only make 27.3 percent of their 3s against them (which ranks third) and 42.7 percent of their 2s (sixth).
- Houston ranks 34th in offense. But its adjusted offensive efficiency rating when Corey Davis is on the floor is 119.5. That mark would be good for seventh in the land.
- Davis and Armoni Brooks are the only two Cougars who are averaging double digits in scoring.
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It will be fascinating to see what seed Houston earns come Selection Sunday. NCAA.com's Andy Katz has the Cougars on the 3-line.
This is a team to keep an eye on as the regular season winds down.
