Yesterday, we combed over CBS Sports' 101 storylines. There, we ran over an assigned point where freshman Darryn Peterson was tasked with 'reviving' this squad.
In that excerpt read an intriguing line.
"The Big 12 isn't Kansas' league anymore. This is Houston's playground until proven otherwise."
Have the Cougars done enough to make the Big 12 their league?
The 2023-24 season marked Houston's in the Big 12. There, Kelvin Sampson's team picked up their third-straight 30+ win season and marched all the way to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to a stacked Duke team in a narrow 54-51 loss. In that season, the Cougars steamrolled the Big 12 and took home their first regular-season title in their first season, finishing 15-3 and being the only conference team in the Big 12 with a win rate above 80%
For the Jayhawks, cracks were showing as Kansas finished 23-11 after being nominated as the AP preseason No.1 team. That year, Self's squad finished 10-8 in Big 12 play and was bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in an 89-68 thumping at the hands of Gonzaga. In the season series between the two, each had one convincing victory and one ugly loss. The Jayhawks took down Houston in a 78-65 Kansas win, with Houston returning the favor in a 76-46 loss to the Cougars right before tournament play.
Last season, Houston continued their hot streak with a second-straight Big 12 regular-season title. Houston fell just once in the conference in a loss to Texas Tech in a thrilling 82-81 overtime loss. Ultimately, Sampson's squad fell just short of glory after losing the National Championship to the Florida Gators, but the 2024-25 season was seen as a massive success.
Last season saw the Jayhawks fail to move out of the first round in the NCAA Tournament after a 79-72 loss at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Kansas finished conference play with an 11-9 mark losing to Houston twice in two extremely close games, one that went to double-overtime.
Since joining the Big 12 Houston has thoroughly dominated college basketball. a combined 67-10 with a 34-4 conference mark will fend off any team. Kansas meanwhile has by no means played poorly by most marks. 44-24 is not awful, but barely over .500 in Big 12 play does not help as the Jayhawks are just 21-17 over the last two conference seasons.
Is it entirely possible this is just a blip for the Jayhawks? Of course, the odd two-year "blip" isn't uncommon for Self. At the same it is hard to say this Houston team, off the back of the back of their fourth-straight 30+ win season, is looking to come down anytime soon.