Houston Cougars Dropped Multiple Spots in AP Poll After Trip to Las Vegas
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The 2025-26 season is already up and running, and for the Houston Cougars, this season came with a lot of expectations. Garnered as the team to beat in the Big 12 after winning both the regular season and conference championships last year and making a run to the national championship title game.
The Coogs and head coach Kelvin Sampson both continue to chase their elusive first national title this season after being close last year. The Cougars have worked through some slow starts early in games this season as Sampson tries to blend the older veteran talent already accustomed to his system and the talented young players on his roster into one cohesive unit.
Houston is already 7-1 on the season, and while at times the Coogs have not looked as dominant as they've been in previous seasons with added reps, the Cougars should look like a different team once conference play rolls around. However, in this week's AP Poll, there is some movement for the Coogs in the rankings.
The Coogs Drop 5 Spots in Recent AP Poll
On Monday, the AP Poll was released, and for the Cougars, they will see their name falling a few spots, slotted in at No. 8 in this week's AP Poll, dropping five spots from their previous No. 3 ranking. The Coogs are placed right ahead of fellow Big 12 team, the BYU Cougars. Jumping the Coogs this week are the Michigan Wolverines, Duke Blue Devils, UConn Huskies, Louisville Cardinals, and Michigan State Spartans.
This ranking comes off the back of the Coogs' participation in the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, where the Cougars went 2-1 in their three games in the tournament. Houston began with a nail-biting 78-74 overtime victory over the Syracuse Orange, thanks to a season-high 26-point performance from guard Milos Uzan.
Game two was a roadblock for the Coogs, narrowly losing to the Tennessee Volunteers 76-73, becoming the first loss for Houston on the young season. And in their final game of a three-game stretch, the Cougars got back on track, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 66-56 to end their participation in the Players Era Tournament.
.@korrdel & @UHouston at #️⃣8️⃣ in latest @AP_Top25 #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) December 1, 2025
🔗– https://t.co/1cQUVKmTfG pic.twitter.com/W9S1pEhY5l
What's Next for Houston this Week?
The Cougars return to the court won't be until this weekend as Houston takes on the Florida State Seminoles for the Houston Hoops Showdown on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The Seminoles have started the season 5-2 through the first seven games of head coach Luke Loucks' first season as Florida State's head coach. Florida State's five wins come in favorable matchups, which they should, and the two losses are at the hands of Power 4 non-conference opponents, falling to reigning national champions the Florida Gators and the Texas A&M Aggies.
