Houston Cougars fans have little reason to panic despite the loss to Memphis in the AAC Championship on Sunday afternoon. The latest NCAA tournament odds show Houston is still the favorite over other No. 1 seeds, Alabama, Kansas and Purdue.
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NCAA Tournament Title Odds: Houston Still the Favorite Despite the Loss
Houston dominated the AAC all year long, going 31-3, and 17-1 in conference play. There is little surprise that Houston is still given respect despite the loss on Sunday, but they'll need to get star guard Marcus Sasser healthy for the NCAA Tournament. Sasser, the team's leading scorer with 17.1 points per game, missed Sunday's conference championship with a groin injury suffered earlier in the season.
Sasser went through pregame warmups but was held out for the game as a precaution.
“It’s a difference, because he’s a great player. But we faced him in Houston without KD. So hey. It is what it is," Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said after the game.
The Houston Cougars are closely followed in the NCAA title odds by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who showed how dominant they can be throughout the SEC Tournament. Alabama cemented their impressive tournament showing with a convincing 82-63 win over Texas A&M in the conference tournament championship game. Potential NBA lottery pick Brandon Miller led the way for the Crimson Tide with 23 points, with Jahvon Quinerly adding 21 in the offensive explosion.
Many believed the Kansas Jayhawks did enough to earn the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (given to Alabama) but they will still get one of the four No. 1 seeds. However, they will now have to play the winner of Illinois-Arkansas in the second round. Kansas has had its moments of looking like the best team in the nation but faltered in the Big 12 Tournament, losing to Texas in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
The Jayhawks will hope to get head coach Bill Self back on the bench for the NCAA Tournament after he missed the Big 12 Tournament with a health scare. Interim head coach Norm Roberts said he expects Self to return to the bench for the NCAA Tournament after losing to Texas.
"I'm so thankful for the amazing staff at the University of Kansas Health System for the excellent care I received," Self said in a statement Sunday, per CBS Sports. "I am proud of our team and coaching staff for how they have handled this and am excited to be back with them as the best time of the season gets underway."
The latest NCAA title odds show the Houston Cougars as the favorite. But with no squad coming in as the clear top team in the nation, this NCAA Tournament could get as wild as any other March Madness.
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