No. 5 Houston Faces No. 14 Kansas in Big 12 Semifinal

Cougars and Jayhawks look to advance to Big 12 title game

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:10pm

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No. 5 Houston and No. 14 Kansas each survived close calls in their Big 12 tournament openers on Thursday, setting up a semifinal matchup on Friday. The second-seeded Cougars rallied late to beat BYU 73-66, while the third-seeded Jayhawks came from behind to defeat TCU 78-73. The winner will face either top seed Arizona or fifth-seeded Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday.

Why it matters

This is a clash between two of the top teams in the Big 12, with the Cougars looking to capture their second straight conference title and the Jayhawks aiming to make their first Big 12 title game appearance since 2023. The winner will have momentum heading into the championship game and a chance to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Houston, which ranks second nationally in scoring defense, relied on its stifling defense to pull away from BYU in the second half. The Cougars held the Cougars to just 15 points over the final 14 minutes. Kansas, meanwhile, overcame a poor shooting night by making 30 of 37 free throws, including 26 of 30 in the second half, to rally past TCU. Freshman Darryn Peterson led the Jayhawks with 24 points, playing a career-high 37 minutes.

  • The semifinal matchup between No. 5 Houston and No. 14 Kansas will tip off on Friday, March 14, 2026.
  • The Big 12 championship game will be played on Saturday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Kelvin Sampson

The head coach of the Houston Cougars, who is looking to lead his team to its second straight Big 12 title.

Bill Self

The head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, who is aiming to guide his team to its first Big 12 title game appearance since 2023.

Kingston Flemings

The leading scorer, passer, and steals man for the Houston Cougars, who delivered a team-high 17 points in the win over BYU.

Darryn Peterson

The star freshman for the Kansas Jayhawks, who scored 24 points and played a career-high 37 minutes in the win over TCU.

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What they’re saying

“We love the opportunity to play the best in our league, and they certainly have been the best or right there over the last three years in which they've been in the league.”

— Bill Self, Kansas Head Coach

“Really proud of my guys. It wasn't our best game. We made some bonehead plays, but the name of the game is to win the game. And at the end of the day that's really all that matters.”

— Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach

“Throughout the year, my body was holding me back. But to finally feel free out there feels great.”

— Darryn Peterson, Kansas Freshman

What’s next

The winner of the Houston-Kansas semifinal will advance to the Big 12 championship game on Saturday, March 15, 2026, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between top seed Arizona and fifth-seeded Iowa State.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of the Big 12's top teams promises to be an exciting and hard-fought battle, with the winner earning a spot in the conference championship game and a chance to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.