Can you hear the music? March Madness is back, and it all started with Selection Sunday!

The Houston Cougars are looking for some redemption after failing to reach the Elite Eight last season. The Cougars were one of college basketball's toughest schools, yet couldn't handle the Miami Hurricanes. The Cougars have only improved in the year since. While new players like L.J. Cryer and Damian Dunn have helped fill the holes the team lost after last season, impressive growth from guys like Emanuel Sharp and Ja'Vier Francis have kept the Cougars in conversation for the top team in the country all year.

Houston has dominated opponents all season with a stellar 30-4 record thus far. However, everyone on that team knows how important this upcoming NCAA Tournament is. The team has only reached the Final Four once in head coach Kelvin Sampson's tenure, and another early departure could start weighing heavy on the program, especially after the Cougars failed to win the Big 12 title with a loss to Iowa State.

Despite that loss though, the Cougars were still named one of the tournament's four No. 1 seeds. Though many people may claim the Cougars no longer deserve such a distinction, they were still one of just four teams in Division I basketball to win 30 or more games on the year. They're absolutely still one of the powerhouses of college basketball.

Here's everything to know about the Houston Cougars men's basketball team with Selection Sunday now in the rear view.

USA Today Bracket Challenge: Join USA Today's $1 million perfect bracket challenge

Latest bracketology and predictions

Clark Kellogg: Purdue, UConn, Kentucky, and UNC to reach Final Four. UConn over Purdue in the final.

Seth Davis: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue to reach Final Four. UConn over Houston in the final.

Jay Wright: UConn, Arizona, Houston, Purdue in the Final Four. UConn beating Houston in the final.

Houston March Madness seeding and opponent

Despite their loss in the Big 12 championship game, the Houston Cougars were still given the No. 1 seed in the South region. The Cougars will face the No. 16 Longwood Lancers, who won the Big South Conference on March 9.

March Madness 2024: West Region Bracket

• No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner (determined during First Four)

• No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State

• No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon

• No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Charleston

• No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico

• No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate

• No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada

• No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State

March Madness 2024: Midwest Region Bracket

• No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 16 Montana State/Grambling State (determined during First Four)

• No. 8 Utah State vs. No. 9 TCU

• No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 McNeese

• No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford

• No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon

• No. 3 Creighton vs. No. 14 Akron

• No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Virginia/Colorado State (determined during First Four)

• No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's

When will Houston play?

Houston's Round of 64 game against Longwood will take place on Friday, March 22.

March Madness 2024: South Region Bracket

• No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Longwood

• No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Texas A&M

• No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison

• No. 4 Duke vs. No. 13 Vermont

• No. 6 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 NC State

• No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland

• No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Boise State/Colorado (determined during the First Four)

• No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Western Kentucky

Who will Houston play in the Round of 64?

Houston was given the top seed in the South Region and will face the No. 16 Longwood Lancers, who won the Big South Conference championship on March 10 with an 85-59 win over UNC Asheville.

Should Houston win their opening matchup, they will face the winner of No. 8 Nebraska and No. 9 Texas A&M.

March Madness 2024: East Region Bracket

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 Stetson

• No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern

• No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 UAB

• No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale

• No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne

• No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State

• No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake

• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota

When is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday takes place on Sunday, March 17. The bracket reveal show begins at 6 p.m. ET on CBS or stream the show on Fubo.

How to watch: Stream Selection Sunday with Fubo

When does the actual March Madness tournament start?

The First Four will begin on Tuesday, March 19 and end on Wednesday, March 20. The Round of 64 begins immediately afterwards on Thursday, March 21.

Where does Houston stand heading into Selection Sunday?

The Cougars could have five more losses on their resume and they'd still be a near lock for a spot in the 68-team March Madness tournament. Now that the Big 12 Tournament is done though, despite Houston failing to win their conference, the Cougars are still an absolute lock.

Prior to the Big 12 tournament, the Cougars were ranked No. 1 in the nation per the USA Today Coaches Poll, and with an impeccable 30-4 record with wins over teams like Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State (regular season), BYU, Texas Tech, and Dayton, there is no universe where the Cougars are left out of this year's March Madness tournament. They will undoubtedly be a top seed in the tournament as well. The only questions are whether or not they will be a No. 1 seed and which other teams will be placed in their region.

Houston seeding predictions

Andy Katz, NCAA bracketologist: No. 1 seed

Joe Lunardi, ESPN: No. 1 seed

Bill Bender, The Sporting News: No. 1 seed

Bender writes, "Senior guard Jamal Shead (6.1 apg) could be the guard that pops this March. This is another Kelvin Sampson team that will be a tough out.”

Big 12 Championship Recap

Although Houston was expected to be the Big 12 champion this year, the Cougars lost to Iowa State in the championship game by a final of 69-41. The Cyclones’ Keshon Gilbert was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and Milan Momcilovic had 18 points to lead the Cyclones in scoring for the championship game.

Houston players to know

The Houston Cougars have three players averaging double figures: L.J. Cryer (15.7), Jamal Shead (13.2), and Emanuel Sharp (12.3). However, arguably their most pivotal and well-rounded player is forward J’Wan Roberts.

Roberts is averaging just under 10 points per game (9.9), but is leading the team in rebounding (7.0). He is also top-three on the team in assists (1.9), steals (1.3), and blocks (0.9), all while shooting a stellar 57.8 percent from the field.

What are KenPom rankings?

As we approach the Selection Sunday show, various rankings will be thrown out. Most are straightforward, such as offensive ranking, defensive ranking, Coaches Poll ranking, etc. However, KenPom rankings are a much different, and often misunderstood ranking.

The brainchild of now-writer for The Athletic Ken Pomeroy, KenPom rankings are meant to be an objective ranking of Division I men’s basketball programs based on specific efficiency metrics. These metrics help determine how each team will fare in each game based on their opponents.

The KenPom ranking takes seven different statistics into account for each team:

• Adjusted Efficiency Margin (AdjEM)

• Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (AdjO)

• Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (AdjD)

• Adjusted Tempo (AdjT)

• Luck rating (Luck)

• Strength of schedule

• Non-conference strength of schedule

These advanced statistics are then compared to every other team in the nation and are used to make supposedly more precise rankings that help determine a team’s viability for a deep NCAA Tournament run. As is the case with any statistic though, KenPom does not tell the whole story, and should not be the sole analysis anyone uses when creating their brackets.

Houston 2023-24 highlights

What is Houston's March Madness history?

The Cougars have appeared in 25 NCAA Tournaments, including six straight (not counting the canceled 2020 March Madness tournament). Although Houston has never won the championship, they do have a pair of back-to-back title game appearances on their resume back in 1983-84.

The Cougars have reached the Final Four on six different occasions, with the most recent coming in 2021. Each of the last three seasons, the Cougars have fallen further and further away from the championship. After losing in the Final Four in 2021, the Cougars only reached the Elite Eight in 2022 and failed to get out of the Sweet Sixteen a year ago.

How are NCAA Tournament bids determined?

32 of the tournament's 68 spots are given to teams that won their respective conference tournaments.

The other 36 bids fall into the “at-large” category, and are selected by the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee, per the NCAA's website. According to the NCAA, "there is no limit on the number of at-large teams the committee may select from one conference." This year alone, there may be six teams from the non-Power 5 Mountain West conference.

How are March Madness seeds determined?

Similar to the at-large bids, March Madness seeds are determined by the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee. The NCAA’s website details the standards that their committee uses to help determine their seedings, including an anonymous ballot for the committee’s votes.

How can I watch March Madness?

First Four: TruTV

First and Second Rounds: CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV

Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight: CBS, TBS

Final Four and Championship: TBS

March Madness: North Carolina grabs No. 1 seed, rest of NCAA Tournament spots decided in final Bracketology

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston Selection Sunday: March Madness brackets, predictions, and more