Big 12 Basketball

Houston is looking poised for a big NCAA tournament run after the No. 1 Cougars dropped No. 16 Longwood 86-46 on Friday.

Houston wrapped the game up easily in the first half, heading into the break leading 43-16. The Cougars could put things in cruise control early on in the second half and relax before their Round of 32 matchup against No. 9 Texas A&M.

L.J. Cryer led the way for Houston with 17 points, while Emanuel Sharp, Jamal Shead and Damian Dunn were also double figures.

After the Cougars dominant Round of 64 matchup, fans are ready to declare Houston a title favorite while dreaming of a potential matchup against Connecticut in the championship game:

To get there, the Cougars have a potential path that would have them face teams like Purdue, Tennessee and Marquette. A championship appearance could see them face off against one of the top teams on the other side of the bracket like UConn or North Carolina.

Houston still has a long way to go in the tournament, but picking up a dominant win on Friday is a good start.

Fourth-seeded Kansas was playing without its leading scorer, Kevin McCullar Jr., in Thursday's NCAA tournament first-round game against No. 13 Samford, but senior big man Hunter Dickinson was among the players who helped the Jayhawks avoid the upset.

Dickinson dropped 19 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks to help Kansas secure a trip to the Round of 32 with a 93-89 victory. The Jayhawks were a popular pick to get upset due to their injury woes and recent struggles.

In addition to being without McCullar, Dickinson wasn't playing at 100 percent after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the regular-season finale March 9. He powered through to record his 17th double-double of the year in dominant fashion, outrebounding the entire Bulldogs starting lineup by himself.

K.J. Adams added 20 points for the Jayhawks, who shot a collective 60.3 from the field. Nicolas Timberlake had 19 points and Johnny Furphy had 16 points to help Kansas stave off every comeback attempt by Samford, which overcame a 20-point second-half deficit to get within one late, but a questionable foul call that appeared to be a block worked in Kansas' favor.

It was Dickinson who was the star of the show, and fans on social media were impressed with his performance:

Dickinson transferred from Michigan to Kansas for his senior season, and if high-profile postseason basketball was his goal, he made the right decision, as the Wolverines failed to make the NCAA tournament this season. He performed at a high level for the Jayhawks all year, and his presence was paramount Thursday amid the team's injuries.

Kansas will play No. 5 Gonzaga in the second round on Saturday. The Jayhawks will need another big outing from Dickinson if they hope to continue their run through the tournament.

Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson won't let his shoulder injury stop him from taking the court in the NCAA Tournament.

Per The Athletic's Brendan Quinn, Dickinson said Wednesday that his shoulder feels "good" and he's prepared to lead the fourth-seeded Jayhawks in their Round of 64 matchup against No. 13 Samford on Thursday night.

Dickinson suffered a dislocated shoulder in Kansas' loss to Houston in its regular-season finale on March 9. There were initial fears that he suffered a torn labrum, but he ended up not needing surgery and was rested during the Big 12 tournament last week.

"The shoulder feels good, good enough to be out there with my teammates," Dickinson said Wednesday in a pre-NCAA Tournament press conference.

While getting Dickinson back will be a boost for Kansas, the team is still shorthanded. Star guard and leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. was ruled out for the entire NCAA Tournament by head coach Bill Self due to a knee injury.

The Jayhawks lost four out of their last five games and were bounced out of the Big 12 tournament in one-and-done fashion with a 20-point loss to Cincinnati. Due to the team's injuries and recent struggles, Quinn noted that Kansas is viewed by many as "a trendy pick as a potential upset victim in a first-round game."

Dickinson was the Jayhawks' second-leading scorer at 18.0 points per game while leading the team with 10.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. However, Quinn pointed out that his average dipped to 15.8 points down the stretch when McCullar was out of the lineup.

Kansas will need Dickinson to be at his best if it hopes to avoid losing a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

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The Kansas men's basketball team received a major blow to its national championship aspirations on Tuesday, as head coach Bill Self told reporters star guard Kevin McCullar Jr. has been ruled out of the NCAA tournament due to a knee injury.

McCullar, a senior, leads the team with 18.3 points per game while also averaging 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals.

Self added that Hunter Dickinson "looks great" after he missed the team's loss to Cincinnati in the second round of the Big 12 tournament with a dislocated shoulder, but that McCullar was simply unable to play through his knee pain.

The Jayhawks were already on upset watch after finishing the season with four losses in five games while going just 7-8 down the stretch after a 15-2 start. Those losses included a 30-point blowout embarrassment against Houston and the loss to Cincy, with both McCullar and Dickinson out.

Without McCullar, they'll likely be a trendy pick among the higher seeds to be upset in the first weekend. And if Dickinson isn't close to 100 percent, the odds only get worse.

On a human level, it's hard to see a player like McCullar—who returned to school for a fifth season to seek a national championship—lose the chance to play in one last tourney.

"How about one more year Jayhawk nation," he wrote on social media in May of 2023 when he announced his return for the 2022-24 campaign. "To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog. Rock Chalk! Let's do it!"

Self was thrilled to see him return.

"This is a big day for Kansas basketball," he said in a statement at the time. "We've had a lot of good things happen through recruiting this offseason, but nothing that has transpired this offseason was bigger for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar return to our program."

Expectations were immense for this Kansas team—the Jayhawks entered the season atop the AP's preseason top-25 poll. After Tuesday's news, however, it doesn't appear likely they'll live up to that hype.

Houston dominated the Big 12 all season long on its way to a regular season title, but Iowa State spoiled the Cougars' first year in the conference with a 69-41 win in the Big 12 Tournament championship game on Saturday.

The loss was shocking given Houston's recent success. The Cougars cruised through the Big 12 tournament and were coming off an 82-59 win over Texas Tech on Friday. Just a week ago, Houston beat Kansas by 30 points.

On Saturday, the Cougars shot an abysmal 26.8 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from deep. Jamal Shead was the only Cougar in double digits on the night.

The rout from Iowa State stunned college basketball fans. The Cyclones have been great all season, but a dominant win over the No. 1 team in the country wasn't exactly expected.

Luckily for the Cougars, the poor performance came before the NCAA tournament rather than during it. It's likely Houston still gets a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, and the Cougars will be looking to bounce back quickly.

Iowa State made a statement with the win, putting the nation on notice heading into the tournament. The Cyclones haven't made it past the Sweet 16 since the 1999-2000 season, but they seem well-equipped to have a deep run this year.

The Houston Cougars enforced their will on the Big 12 in their first season in the conference.

Kelvin Sampson's team needs a win over the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 tournament final on Saturday to complete the championship double.

Houston and Iowa State rolled through their first two games in Kansas City. They had a combined margin of victory of 71 points.

Houston received most of the national attention out of the Big 12 this season, but Iowa State has been equally as good in league play and was one of the few teams to beat the Cougars since January.

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Big 12 Tournament Final Info

Date: Saturday, March 16

Start Time: 6 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Game Preview

Houston has only gotten better over the last two weeks, which is a scary sight for any of its future opponents.

The Cougars held their last four opponents under 60 points and annihilated the TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Tech Red Raiders in Kansas City.

The No. 1 seed has not lost since a February 3 road trip to Kansas and its last loss before that occurred during a two-game losing streak to TCU and Iowa State in early January.

Few teams have come close to competing with the Cougars for 40 minutes. They are one of the most complete teams in the country, led by veteran guard Jamal Shead.

The Cougars rank in the top 10 in almost every important defensive metric on KenPom and they give up the fewest points per game in Division I.

Iowa State suffered a few more losses in Big 12 play than Houston, but it has been equally as dominant as Houston in some of its recent wins.

The Cyclones blew past the Kansas State Wildcats and Baylor Bears in Kansas City and they held their last seven opponents to 65 points or fewer.

Houston was the last team to eclipse the 65-point mark against the Cyclones in a 73-65 victory on February 19.

Four of Iowa State's five Big 12 losses occurred when it conceded over 70 points, so the offensive goal seems simple for Houston.

However, with the way both programs played defense in Kansas City, it feels like Saturday's championship game will be a first-to-60 wins matchup.

Kansas will not be cutting down the nets as the Big 12 tournament champion.

The Jayhawks, who are ranked No. 16 in the country and were the No. 6 seed in the men's basketball conference tournament, lost Wednesday's second-round matchup against the 11th-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats.

Cincinnati kept its Big Dance hopes alive with the dominant 72-52 victory, although things were certainly easier than they could have been had Kansas been at full strength.

The Jayhawks were missing their top two scorers in guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) and big man Hunter Dickinson (shoulder). Both players were members of the All-Big 12 First Team and consistently led Kansas throughout the season.

Cincinnati took full advantage thanks to impressive performances from Dan Skillings Jr. (25 points and seven rebounds) and John Newman III (12 points and 10 rebounds). Its defense also held Kansas to an ugly 3-of-20 (15 percent) shooting from three-point range, which is one area where McCullar was missed.

K.J. Adams Jr. did what he could for the Jayhawks with 22 points, but it was nowhere near enough without the two go-to options.

The Bearcats now turn their attention to the quarterfinals, where they will face the third-seeded Baylor Bears.

Baylor figures to be fresher in its first tournament game with Cincinnati playing a third game in three days, but the Bearcats also have some momentum and are motivated by their attempts to keep their March Madness hopes alive with a conference tournament title.