Houston Cougars guards Isiah Harwell (1) and Kingston Flemings (4) and forward Chase McCarty (24) react to their second seed placement in the South during Selection Sunday, on Sunday, Mar 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
On March 15, the Houston Cougars hosted a Selection Sunday watch party at the Fertitta Center. With games, players signing posters and a speech from head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars watched the selections unfold.
As anticipation filled the air, Houston saw their name in the South region as the No.2 seed and the stadium erupted in cheers.
Selection Sunday is when the NCAA committee decides which teams get in and which region those teams will play in. The teams that won their conference tournament, such as Arizona, are automatically in.
Then the committee evaluates and chooses 36 more teams based on their records, rankings and the quality of their wins. After selecting these teams, the committee assigns them to four regions: Midwest, South, East and West.
However, since 68 teams are chosen, four games are played before the tournament, called the First Four, in which the winners are seeded among the 64 remaining teams in the brackets. The No.1 seeds in each region have won their tournament, showcased elite-level play this season and are ranked high in the top 25.
Last year, the Houston Cougars were seeded in the Midwest region as the No.1 seed, with a record of 30-4, and won the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
The Cougars went on a winning spree, as they went all the way to the National Championship. However, Houston narrowly lost to the University of Florida 65-63.
Despite the loss last year, Cougars hold their heads up and are taking one game at a time.
In an interview after the selection was shown, freshman guard Kingston Flemings said that Houston’s confidence is apparent and loud going into his first tournament.
“Crazy confidence. We work as a team, I know how much I work and we have played some of the best teams in the country,” Flemings said.
The Cougars have boasted one of the best defenses in the country throughout the season, with players like junior forward Joseph Tugler, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. and senior forward Kalifa Sakho as the pillars.
However, the offense has been on a roll, with players like Flemings and senior guard Emanuel Sharp consistently scoring.
With all of this in mind, the Cougars have their sights set on the National Championship game and hoisting the trophy up high. However, to get there, Houston is taking one game at a time and remaining confident throughout the tournament.
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