Big 12 Basketball

Two of the newest teams in the Big 12 will square off in the 2025 Big 12 tournament final.

The Houston Cougars are making their second Big 12 tournament final appearance in two years inside the league. Houston only put up 41 points in a loss in the same spot last year.

The Arizona Wildcats qualified for the title clash in their first year in the conference.

Arizona is no stranger to playing on Saturday of Championship Week, though, as it won two of the final three Pac-12 tournaments and nine Pac-12 tourney titles in whole.

Big 12 Championship Game Info

Date: Saturday, March 15

Start Time: 6 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app

Preview

One of the two programs will earn their first Big 12 tournament title on Saturday night.

Houston immediately established itself as a Big 12 power in the step up from the American Athletic Conference that took place last season.

The Cougars are 21-1 against Big 12 opponents this season. The only loss came back on February 1 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

As it has been for quite some time, Houston's defense was the trademark of its run to the final.

Houston held the BYU Cougars to 54 points in Friday's semifinal, one day after BYU put up 96 points on the Iowa State Cyclones.

In fact, no team scored more than 68 points against Houston since it suffered the loss to Texas Tech on February 1.

Houston held Arizona to 58 points as part of that run on February 15 in Tucson. The Wildcats were equally as strong on defense in that game, though, as they limited Houston to 62.

Arizona entered Kansas City in far less consistent form than Houston. Its two-game winning streak inside T-Mobile Center is its first set of consecutive victories since a six-game run that ended on February 11.

The Wildcats looked to have reversed course on that form with controlling wins over the Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Tech.

Arizona's offense clicked in both wins with 88 and 86 points. The Caleb Love-led attack might not put up another 80-spot on Saturday, but it could pose a major challenge to Houston's defense.

Houston will be viewed as the favorite because of its defense and overall consistency in Big 12 play, but if Love and the Wildcats get hot, they can push the Cougars to the brink.

Prediction

Houston 64, Arizona 60

It's a new day in college sports, and multiple schools were reportedly willing to pay what it took to land highly coveted recruit AJ Dybantsa before he revealed on Tuesday's episode of First Take that he will attend BYU.

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported Wednesday that BYU, North Carolina and Alabama all decided to "meet the asking price" of approximately $5 million in name, image and likeness money to sign Dybantsa.

Norlander noted it is believed to be the biggest deal for any college basketball player in history.

"The money for every [school] was the same," Leonard Armato, Dybantsa's business adviser, told CBS Sports. "The decision wasn't a money decision as much as it was a culture fit, a decision for the family, basketball, all those things that should be the determining factors. There was a certain money threshold, but once you got to that, it was about 'how comfortable do I feel for me as a basketball player and my family.'"

That's not all, as Dybantsa has deals with Nike and Red Bull that Norlander reported are believed to be worth at least another $1 million combined.

BYU's ability to land a recruit over some of the sport's most notable powerhouse programs speaks well to the direction the program is heading under head coach Kevin Young, who took over after Mark Pope departed for Kentucky.

Dybantsa is far from just an ordinary recruit, as he is the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He reclassified from the 2026 class to the 2025 one, but the move did nothing to his No. 1 ranking.

That is because of a skill set that features the ability to score all over the court as a 6'9" matchup nightmare. He can hit from the outside, score in the lane and attack off the bounce, and it isn't difficult to envision him as a defensive leader at the next level as well with his combination of size and athleticism.

He will be an expensive recruit for BYU's collective as the program looks to establish success in the Big 12, but the Cougars needed a jolt since they haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2012.

Dybantsa is the type of player who can provide just that type of program-altering boost.

No. 1 Kansas suffered its second consecutive loss, falling to Missouri by the final score of 76-67 on Sunday.

While Missouri improved to 8-1 with the win, the Tigers weren't ranked entering the contest. As for the Jayhawks, they now sit at 7-2 after winning each of their first seven games of the regular season.

Hunter Dickinson led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds for Kansas, but it wasn't enough to save head coach Bill Self's team from another defeat.

The Jayhawks were held below 70 points in both of their losses after surpassing that threshold in each of their seven victories to open the year.

Kansas struggled with ball security throughout its defeat on Sunday, committing 22 turnovers compared to 13 assists at Mizzou Arena.

Missouri led by 24 points early in the second half, although the Jayhawks immediately responded with a 15-0 run that kept them within striking distance. Kansas cut the deficit to a mere two points with just over two minutes left in regulation, but the Tigers pulled away once again.

Four of the Jayhawks' starters finished with double-digit scoring totals, but an inconsistent performance from their reserves made the comeback attempt difficult. Kansas' bench combined to score six total points on 2-10 shooting.

The Jayhawks became the first No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll to lose back-to-back games against unranked opponents since Florida in Dec. 2003 (h/t ESPN's Jeff Borzello).

Self's team will attempt to get back on track with an upcoming three-game homestand, starting with a battle against NC State on Saturday.

Tip-off is at 3 p.m. ET.

College basketball's top teams have fallen.

No. 1 Kansas lost to unranked Creighton 76-63 on the road Wednesday, marking the Jayhawks' first loss of the season. Later in the night, No. 2 Auburn lost to Cooper Flagg and No. 9 Duke on the road 84-78.

Creighton shut down Kansas star Hunter Dickinson, who had just six points on the night. The Bluejays used a huge night from Pop Isaacs, who had 27, to pick up the win.

Taking down the No. 1 team in the country is starting to become a trend for Creighton. Last February, the Bluejays defeated UConn, which was ranked No. 1 at the time. Head coach Greg McDermott joked about his team's record against No. 1 teams after the game.

"What can you say? This is the building No. 1 teams go to die evidently," he said.

McDermott also praised his squad for pulling off the massive upset despite several players dealing with injuries and illnesses.

"It was going to take special effort on our part on both ends of the floor," he said. "Guys are beat up, guys are sick and we found a way. I'm really proud of my team."

Things hadn't gone well for Creighton to start the season following last year's Sweet 16 run. The Bluejays already had three losses on their schedule and looked far from a championship-contending team.

McDermott believes Wednesday's seismic win can help change the trajectory of Creighton's season.

"I think with every team, you're selling a dream. You're selling a plan," he said. "Until you're able to validate that plan with a victory like this, I'm not sure the buy-in is what it's going to be now. Now they know what they're capable of and we've got to hold ourselves to that standard.

Kansas already has a handful of big wins under its belt, taking down North Carolina and Duke early this season, but Bill Self and the Jayhawks will spend the rest of the week trying to figure out what went wrong before Sunday's rivalry matchup against Missouri.

Houston added another top prospect to its stacked 2025 basketball recruiting class on Tuesday.

Chris Cenac Jr. announced his pledge to the Cougars live in the B/R App. The Branson, Missouri, native is considered to be the No. 6 player nationally, the No. 1 center and the top player in the state of Missouri by 247Sports Composite.

Cenac picked Houston over LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and a handful of other solid programs. He is rated .9978 by 247Sports Composite, meaning he's the Cougars' highest-rated commit ever.

He adds to an already-talented Class of 2025 for Houston as the Cougars landed 5-star prospect Isiah Harwell, the No. 12 player nationally, earlier this year and have a 4-star and 3-star prospect committed.

Cenac's commitment bumped Houston from the No. 12 recruiting class in the country to No. 2, according to 247 Composite. The Cougars sit just behind Duke.

Houston is coming off a fantastic 30-4 season that saw it win the Big 12 regular season title in its first year in the conference. The Cougars reached the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season, but faced an upset against Duke after All-American Jamal Shead suffered an ankle injury in the first half.

Houston is now looking to bounce back from the earlier-than-expected exit with a big season this year. The Cougars are 3-1 to start the year with their only loss coming to Auburn, which beat No. 5 Iowa State on Tuesday. Houston will get a chance to pick up a signature win on Tuesday when it faces No. 9 Alabama in the Players Era Festival - Impact Tournament.

Utah native AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, is in Provo today for BYU's home game.

Per Joe Tipton of On3.com, Dybantsa is expected to be at J. Willard Marriott Center to watch the Cougars host Idaho as he continues to mull over his future college destination.

Dybantsa is a 5-star recruit and the top-ranked prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He has received offers and taken official visits to several powerhouse programs across the country, including North Carolina, Kansas and Alabama.

The battle to land Dybantsa has been intense among many programs. Pete Nakos of On3.com reported in October that his NIL deal could get as high as $4 million for one year.

In a separate report from Nakos on Thursday, BYU was considered the "clear favorite" to land the Utah Prep standout and the program is "prepared to pay" him between $4-4.5 million when all is said and done.

Dybantsa told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi he moved up his commitment date from February to December because his official visits stopped last month and he feels confident about all of the schools he is considering:

"The original plan was to commit in February. The visits stopped in October. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to see all the schools play. We are ahead of where we thought we would be. If I know where I want to go, why wait? It's probably going to be in December. I feel I will be ready by then."

The 17-year-old Dybantsa reclassified from 2026 to 2025 in October 2023. After the Nike EYBL Peach Jam event in the spring of 2023, one coach told ESPN's Jeff Borzello that Dybantsa "has the potential" to be a player in the mold of Kobe Bryant, Jayson Tatum or Kawhi Leonard as a bigger guard with positional versatility.

BYU's 2025 recruiting class currently ranks fifth in the Big 12, led by center Xavion Staton. Landing Dybantsa would be a huge coup for first-year head coach Kevin Young, who took over after Mark Pope was hired by Kentucky in April.

Darryn Peterson, the No. 3 recruit and No. 1 guard in the men's high school basketball class of 2025, announced that he will be attending Kansas.

Peterson, who made the announcement live on CBS Sports HQ and the 247Sports YouTube channel Friday, chose the Jayhawks over finalists Kansas State, Ohio State and USC.

The 6'5", 195-pound Peterson, who attends Prolific Prep in Napa, California, has received rave reviews for his play.

"Overall, there's just not another guard in the country right now who can match Peterson's combination of size, length, strength, real functional versatility, and effortless ability to get to his spots that can make the game look easy at times," Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports wrote in part in his July 14 scouting report.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote:

Travis Branham of 247Sports also stated that "Peterson would rank as the No. 1 overall recruit" in "just about" any other class or prospects. The class of 2025 is loaded at the top, though, with AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer sitting one-two.

This is a huge win for Kansas and head coach Bill Self, who gets the program's first top-five recruit since 2016 (Josh Jackson). Peterson cited Self and the program culture as the main reasons why he chose Kansas.

"This was a very hard decision," Peterson told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. "Ultimately, it was the coaching of Bill Self and the culture of their program. My heart and gut were with Kansas.

"I will have the opportunity to play right away as a freshman, prepare for the draft and be dialed into winning. I won't look back or ahead. I will be dialed in when I am there."

Peterson is a fantastic scorer who's played on big stages already. Per ESPN, he posted 16.8 points and 3.7 assists per game (six starts) for USA Basketball en route to a gold medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship in 2023. Peterson also shined this offseason on the Adidas 3SSB circuit with Phenom United, averaging 23.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Arizona men's basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd landed a major win on the recruiting trail Sunday.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported that forward Dwayne Aristode, who is from the Netherlands, committed to the Wildcats over finalists Duke, USC, Michigan State and the NBL Next Stars program.

The 6'8" Aristode is a 5-star prospect and the No. 18 overall player and No. 4 small forward in the class of 2025, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Lloyd having success recruiting internationally is nothing new, as he helped land Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kelly Olynyk (Canada) and Mario Kasun (Croatia), among others, when he was an assistant coach at Gonzaga.

What's more, Arizona's roster coming into the 2024-25 campaign has plenty of international players in Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), Anthony Dell'Orso (Australia), Henri Veesaar (Estonia), Conrad Martinez (Spain) and Emmanuel Stephen (Nigeria).

"The winning culture Tommy Lloyd has built at Arizona is remarkable," Aristode said. "They play fast and have the right balance between structure and giving players freedom."

While Aristode made his senior national team debut this summer as a 17-year-old, he has been playing high school basketball in the United States.

The first thing that jumps out about the prospect's game is his defense, as he can guard multiple positions and help protect the rim. However, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein called his offensive game "a bit of a work in progress" that "has made consistent strides."

He can finish above the rim on lobs and play through contact while also bringing a solid if unspectacular shot from beyond the arc.

If Aristode can continue to take those strides on the offensive side while playing impressive defense, he will be an immediate difference-maker for the Wildcats. He is their first commit in the class of 2025 and could set the tone moving forward.

Lloyd brought in a solid mix of recruits and transfers as part of his 2024 class and now has some momentum in the 2025 class with the addition of a top prospect.

Renderings of the new Rock Creek Entertainment District in Oklahoma have been made public after the Norman City Council approved funding for the $1 billion project.

The district will be the centerpiece for a new arena that will be home to the Sooners' basketball and gymnastics programs.

Per Colton Sulley of The Oklahoman, the Norman City Council approved the project in a 5-4 vote on Wednesday. The total cost of the development project is $1.2 billion, with the new arena replacing the Lloyd Noble Center.

"Tonight, we saw strong leadership when our city needed it most," OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement after the vote (h/t Sulley). "This was indeed a vote for a transformative opportunity for the City of Norman and Cleveland County."

Despite the project's approval from the city council, Mason Young of the Tulsa World did note it is "likely" that citizens could file a referendum that would challenge the decision and set up a vote of the people that would determine if the city uses taxpayer money to fund the project.

There were two public hearings scheduled to discuss the project—on Sept. 4 and 17—to go over questions and opinions from local residents.

Per Young, Oklahoma University is expected to contribute $100 million of the $330 million total cost for the new arena and supporting infrastructure. He added that the Lloyd Noble Center will be used as a practice facility and other university events in the future.

In addition to a new arena, the proposed entertainment district will feature shops, restaurants, office space, new housing and a hotel.

The new arena is expected to include 8,000 seats for basketball games and gym meets, with the possibility of additional seats for other events.

The Lloyd Noble Center has a capacity of 10,967. It has been the home for Sooners' basketball since it opened in 1975.

The Big 12 is already a strong basketball conference, and it would become much more formidable in the sport if it added UConn.

Perhaps the conference's presidents and athletic directors had that in mind Monday, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported they met to discuss potentially adding the Huskies as part of an expansion during a call that "was informational in nature."

There was no vote taken, although Thamel noted the expectation is the discussions will continue.

Basketball would be the selling point with this addition, which stands in contrast to some of the other conference moves of late.

Football has been the driving force behind much of the conference realignment in recent years, which the Big 12 can attest to after seeing powerhouse programs Texas and Oklahoma leave to join the SEC.

While the conference added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah this offseason, it isn't difficult to make the argument it is now stronger in men's basketball than on the gridiron.

Kansas and Arizona are two of the gold-standard programs in the sport, while others such as Houston, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech and West Virginia, among others, have enjoyed success. Cincinnati, which was a new addition ahead of last season, also has a more-established tradition in basketball compared to football.

UConn would be the ultimate basketball addition, as it has dominated on both the men's and women's sides.

The Huskies are coming off back-to-back men's national titles and count six overall championships in program history. And anything less than a Final Four is almost considered a failure for Geno Auriemma's women's program, which has a stunning 23 Final Four appearances and 11 championships.

Some of the most iconic women's basketball players in history suited up for the Huskies, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles and Rebecca Lobo.

At this point, Big 12 basketball is appointment viewing with its current list of teams.

Adding a powerhouse like UConn would mean even more headlines and must-see matchups, which is something the presidents and athletic directors will surely consider.