After a four game losing streak towards the end of conference play, Kelvin Sampson has his Houston Cougars back on track. The offense had excelled during their win streak, but now the defense caught up in yesterday’s win against the Jayhawks limiting them to 47 points. Tournament momentum for March can be as simple as freshmen growing that extra level at the tail end of the season. We are seeing that with Houston’s trio in Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac, and Chase McCarty. Tail Houston.

Tommie Lloyd gets another shot at Houston in the Big 12 Tournament after losing to the Cougars by eight points in the title game last year, and the Wildcats are roaring off Jayden Bradley’s buzzer-beater in what might have been one of the best games of the entire season. The Wildcats looked so connected and in rhythm on offense against an elite Iowa State defense that it’s going to help them deal with Houston’s pressure, and the Cougars do not present the same kind of three-point threat that helped the Cyclones keep pace. Arizona won the regular season meeting in Houston by seven, so I think the Wildcats cover this number and claim their first conference tournament title since 2023.