Bill Self points out this overlooked trait that will decide winner of Houston clash

The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks are hours away from their second fixture against the No. 2 Houston Cougars in what will be one of two Friday night semifinals in the bid to go all the way to the Big 12 Championship. 

When these two sides first met in late February, despite a gritty first half that played into the hands of No. 5 Houston, and ended with a narrow 31-27 lead in favor of No. 14 Kansas, Bill Self’s squad persevered and ended up pushing the game well out of reach in the second period as KU marched to a distant 69-56 win. Since then, the Jayhawks have gone 2-2 and have had bits of inconsistent basketball littered throughout, including in Thursday night’s 78-73 quarterfinal win over the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs. 

A power shift that has unsettled the Jayhawks

Since Houston joined the league ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Cougars have been borderline unbeatable. A conference record of 49-8 does enough talking, and two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament add an unnecessary cherry on top. 

“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. So, we'll be excited,” quoted Self following Kansas’ quarterfinal win.

A complex recipe to beat Sampson’s Cougars

Houston’s squad is still stifling as usual in their defensive numbers, as the Cougars still allow just 62.8 points per game and a 40.3% overall field goal rate, meaning that in order to break down Houston’s defense, it helps to have a wildcard scorer. When Houston and KU met earlier in the season, it was transfer guard Tre White who notched 23 points on a 6-9 mark from the field. 

Yet Self emphasized that this season’s earlier matchup “doesn’t really mean anything” and that instead, the key will come down to effort, stating, “I don't know if it'll be as much about scouting as it will be, who wants the ball more.”

Once again second-favorites on the big stage

Just like when the Jayhawks took on the Cougars last month, Kansas will be the underdog as ESPN Analytics suggests that Houston holds a 72.9% chance of advancing to the Big 12 Championship tomorrow evening. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.

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