The Houston Cougars enter March Madness as one of the No. 1 seeds, riding a dominant 13-game win streak after tearing through the Big 12 with a 30-4 record. Houston has been one of the most complete teams in college basketball all season and is among the favorites to win the national championship.

Madness is the best tournament in sports because of the wild upsets no one sees coming. For as many Cinderella runs as we've seen through the years, though, those teams never end up winning the national championship.

The 2025 NCAA Tournament field is officially set after it was revealed on Selection Sunday. The four No. 1 seeds in the Field of 68 are Houston, Duke, Florida and Auburn with Bruce Pearl's team earning the top overall seed despite not even winning the SEC tournament.

The SEC is well-represented among title contenders, but its best squads open behind the No. 1 team in these pre-tournament rankings.