Whether one goes by resume, the metrics or the eye test, Houston basketball is one of the best teams in the country. Defending national champion UConn will be a menace for anyone to handle in the NCAA Tournament, but the Cougars' biggest roadblock might actually be their health.

Injuries have hindered them in the past, and with a solid opportunity to win their first title in program history, avoiding catastrophe during the Big 12 Tournament is of the utmost importance. Fans were given a bit of a scare Friday night during Houston's semifinal clash with Texas Tech.

Senior forward J'Wan Roberts went down with an apparent knee injury and needed to be helped off to the sidelines. His condition quickly improved, however, as he walked to the locker room on his own power. Even better, Roberts got the green light to return and checked back in about midway through the first half, per Jeff Goodman.

The Cougars cannot afford to dig any deeper into their bench. They are already without Ramon Walker and JoJo Tugler for the remainder of the season, so losing a key defensive and rebounding contributor like Roberts could have been a big blow to their chances going forward.

To a team like Houston basketball, depth is important. Executing the hard-nosed, relentless style of play that defines Kelvin Sampson's brand of hoops requires there to be enough players to share in the burden. Maintaining high intensity is obviously tough with a thin bench.

Winning the Big 12 Tournament would be resounding evidence that this group is capable enough to withstand the rigors of a tournament format during March Madness. Though, avoiding further injury is even more important than claiming the conference championship.