Houston's NCAA Tournament projection comes with a home court advantage

The Houston Cougars men's basketball may not have won the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament title Saturday, but the program could still enter the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with a major advantage. 

Houston fell to Arizona in the Big 12 championship game, snapping a five-game winning streak. But the Cougars remain firmly positioned near the top of the bracket heading into Selection Sunday.

According to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Houston is almost certain to land in the South Region. That placement would likely send the Cougars to opening-round sites within close proximity of their campus, and potentially keep them in Texas for much of the tournament’s early stages.

"Regardless of seed, the Cougars are almost certainly headed to the South Region," Lunardi said in the latest Bracketology. "There are no restrictions for Houston playing in their hometown as a non-host, even as a 2-seed."   

Unlike host schools, teams are allowed to play in their home city as long as they are not the event host. That means Houston could effectively enjoy a home court atmosphere, if they're assigned to a nearby regional pod.

The possibility is huge for a program that consistently draws one of the most passionate fan bases in college basketball. The Cougars packing neutral venues could become a storyline. 

Houston also enters the tournament battle-tested. Saturday’s appearance marked the Cougars’ third straight Big 12 Tournament championship game and their eighth consecutive conference tournament final overall.

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Joseph Tugler scored a career-high 20 points and recorded his third double-double of the season in the title game, while Emanuel Sharp surpassed 300 career three-pointers and continues climbing Houston’s all-time scoring list.

The Cougars could enter March Madness with something rare in the NCAA Tournament and a genuine home court advantage.

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