College Hoops Analyst DeShaun Tate Says Cougars Have "Made A Statement"

College basketball analyst DeShaun Tate joins Next Up to preview the NCAA Division I men's basketball March Madness tournament with the first round beginning Thursday.

The UConn Huskies won the Big East regular season and Big East Tournament title and are looking to become the first back-to-back champs since Florida in 2006 and 2007. UConn has looked "like the best team in the country all year long," Tate said.

In their first year in the Big 12, the Houston Cougars claimed the Big 12 regular season championship and one of the four first seeds in the March Madness tournament. The Cougars "really made a statement."

The Cougars are the No. 1 seed in the South region, but Tate says the Midwest region is the toughest in the tournament with teams like Purdue, Tennessee and Gonzaga. The Midwest has "a bunch of teams that have been knocking on the door for I don't know how long."

The Final Four will be held at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, and Tate has these teams competing for a national title: UConn Huskies, Houston Cougars, Creighton Bluejays and New Mexico Lobos.