The Houston Cougars Are College Basketball's Best When This Lineup Is On The Floor

With the No. 1 starting five in college basketball, Houston continues to overwhelm opponents despite a grueling schedule.

Feb 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives to the basket against Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Despite navigating one of the toughest schedules in the country, the No. 3 Houston Cougars have once again established themselves as a superpower in the college basketball world. Their 22-2 overall record and 10-1 record in Big 12 conference play reflect a program that hasn't just met expectations — it has surpassed them by a large margin.

For the past few years, Houston's identity has centered around toughness, discipline, and defense. But this year's group has the ability to win in both shootouts and defensive slugfests. While the Cougars average just under 80 points per game, they routinely been able to overwhelm some of the best teams in the Big 12.

It's that versatility that has made this group one of the toughest matchups in the country. And based on the advanced metrics from Evan Miyakawa, that lineup isn’t just good — it’s the best in college basketball.

Houston’s Starting Five Is the Standard

Jan 24, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) works the ball against Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

According to EvanMiya CBB Analytics, Houston's starting five of freshman guard Kingston Flemings, senior guard Emanuel Sharp, senior guard Milos Uzan, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., and junior forward Joseph Tugler ranks as the No. 1 five‑man unit in college basketball.

Here are the top performing lineups in the country at https://t.co/cegyfz8ykZ, adjusted for opponent strength (150+ possessions played).

Teams with a lineup in the top 10: Houston, Arizona, Iowa State, Michigan State, Michigan, Duke, Texas A&M, Purdue, Kansas, and Vanderbilt 👇 pic.twitter.com/rhgT941BhV

— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 9, 2026

Their placement at the top of the list puts them ahead of other elite programs in college basketball, such as Arizona, Michigan, Duke, Iowa State, and Michigan State. Despite all of these programs also having NBA-level talent and national championship dreams, the Cougars have stumped all of them with some of the best efficiency margins this season.

An observed offensive efficiency of 129.2 paired with an observed defensive efficiency of 69.5 signals a level of two-way dominance rarely seen, even among the top five programs. Houston's efficiency margin of 59.7 remains the best in college basketball by quite a margin. The next closest team in terms of total efficiency is Arizona, with an efficiency margin of 55.3.

The predictive metrics from EvanMiya tell a similar story. Houston's 54.6 predicted efficiency margin is nearly as strong as its actual output, meaning that the Cougars are one of the most consistent performers in college basketball. Texas A&M is a good example of a team that may be a little more inconsistent, with an observed efficiency margin of 52.0 and a predicted efficiency margin of 38.4.

While these terms and statistics can get a little confusing, one thing isn't; if the Houston Cougars keep performing like this, everyone else might just be playing for second place.