BYU vs. No. 5 Houston: Three thoughts entering Big 12 Tournament matchup
Mar 12, 2026, 3:00 AM | Updated: 1:10 pm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU basketball is the only team in the Big 12 Tournament that is preparing to play its third game in three days.
The third game in BYU’s pursuit of a conference tournament title, the first for the program since 2001, will be its toughest test yet as it takes on 2-seed Houston, the No. 5-ranked team in the latest AP Top 25.
BYU basketball prepares for third game in three days at the Big 12 Tournament
Houston hasn’t played a game yet in the Big 12 Tournament. Could that give BYU a little bit of an advantage?
Regardless, BYU will have to play its best game of the season to try to take down Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad.
BYU is 1-7 this season in games as an underdog.
Houston is the only program that BYU has yet to defeat since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
BYU gets another crack at the powerhouse Houston on a heavyweight Thursday Quarterfinal at the Big 12 Tournament
BYU vs. Houston: Three thoughts
Here are three thoughts entering the Big 12 Tournament matchup between BYU and Houston.
1. Will BYU’s new toughness show up against the program that embodies toughness?
It’s no surprise that BYU has been able to stack up wins again after showing a renewed toughness on both ends of the floor.
BYU is on a three-game winning streak that includes a win over Texas Tech and a pair of victories in the Big 12 Tournament. It’s a far different-looking team than the one that dropped three straight against three unranked opponents.
Khadim Mboup on the biggest reason behind the leap in his development in his redshirt freshman season at BYU. pic.twitter.com/D6c3ZhCHt9
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 12, 2026
“We had a moment where we had to just — I personally had to look myself in the mirror after that East Coast trip. It was the trifecta. It was the UCF game and then the trip out east against Cincy and West Virginia,” said BYU head coach Kevin Young. “And it was a dark moment for our season. I just had to figure out — we have too much talent. Let’s figure this out even without Richie.
“We took it back to the basics and we just dumbed it down with our defense, got a lot less coachy and a lot more just do it harder, longer, stronger, faster and kept it real simple.”
The defense, in particular, was impressive on Wednesday night as they held West Virginia to a 35% turnover rate, the best by BYU’s defense this season.
Now they get a Houston program that isn’t reinventing itself. They know who they are, as they have practically played the same starting five this entire season. And their recent history speaks for itself. They have been a fixture on the second weekend for six consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
Houston is 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 7th in defensive efficiency. The toughness from BYU will need to show up, particularly on the glass, where Houston teams are brilliant in gathering 50/50 balls and wearing you down on the offensive glass.
2. AJ Dybantsa is built for March
In two postseason games in his debut, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa has been spectacular, scoring 67 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, dishing out 9 assists, and recording 5 steals.
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Dybantsa is embracing the madness that comes with this time of the year.
He continues to insist to reporters that he hasn’t made his decision for next year yet. But if this is the one March in college hoops, as we all expect, he’s been elite so far.
Pulling off an upset over Houston would only add to the aura of greatness he has already built throughout his young basketball career.
3. Rob Wright III vs. Kingston Flemings
The point guard matchup for tonight between BYU and Houston is one of the best in college basketball as BYU’s Rob Wright III goes up against Houston superstar Kingston Flemings.
Flemings, a First Team All-Big 12 player, has been sensational this season and is poised to be a top-five pick in the NBA draft next summer.
The freshman guard went on a tear in the second half of the lone regular-season meeting against BYU, scoring 11 points in the second half.
Rob Wright was excellent in that matchup as well, shooting the ball, going a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.
These two will be a must-see on Thursday night.
10-seed BYU vs. 2-seed Houston
2026 Big 12 Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals
Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Tip-off: 5 p.m. (MDT)/6 p.m (CDT)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYUathletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
