Three Keys for BYU to Beat Houston in the Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals

After losing three straight games, BYU has responded by winning three straight in five days.

A team that never expected to play on the first day of the Big 12 Tournament entering conference play has now won back-to-back games in the event, including a victory over West Virginia that avenged a loss to the Mountaineers just 12 days earlier.

Last year, BYU didn't play its first Big 12 Tournament game until the quarterfinals, earning a double bye after a late-season surge. Now the Cougars will play their third game in as many days as they prepare for a matchup with the mighty Houston Cougars.

Since joining the Big 12, the only two conference foes BYU had not beaten entering this season were Texas Tech and Houston. Kevin Young's squad took care of the first by knocking off the Red Raiders in their regular-season finale.

Now a second meeting with Houston awaits at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Can BYU finally earn its first win against Kelvin Sampson in the Big 12 era?

Every program in the country knows you can never overlook Houston. The red Cougars play a unique brand of basketball and possess one of the clearest identities in the sport.

They are tough as nails and make their opponents work for every basket. At 26-5, it has been another strong year for Sampson's crew. However, Houston has faced a bit of adversity recently as well. Three of their five losses have come in the last six games.

Like BYU, Houston lost three straight before winning its last three games. Life in the Big 12 meant facing Iowa State, Arizona, and Kansas in consecutive matchups. Houston responded by beating Colorado by 40 and Baylor by 13 at home before securing a seven-point road win over Oklahoma State.

Experience-wise, this Houston team is built a bit differently than most. Typically, Sampson's teams are led by veteran cores. Last season, six players in Houston's eight-man rotation were juniors and seniors.

This year, only five players in the 10-man rotation are upperclassmen, and the team's leading scorer is freshman Kingston Flemings. It's the first time Sampson has had a freshman lead a Houston team in scoring.

But make no mistake—this team still plays like classic Houston. The Big 12 regular season runners up rank top 15 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency and boast the top offense and second-best defense in the conference.

If BYU wants a chance to pull off the upset in the Big 12 tournament, it will need to stay disciplined. Here are three keys to beating Houston.

Limit turnovers

Houston ranks third nationally in offensive turnover percentage and 10th in defensive turnover percentage. In other words, the team takes care of the ball while forcing opponents into mistakes.

In fact, Houston forces turnovers on 21.4% of opponent possesions and records steals on 12% of them.

Yet in the previous meeting, BYU committed just six turnovers. BYU trailed by only four points with 5:07 remaining. However, two of those turnovers came in the final five minutes, allowing Houston to pull away and escape Provo with the win.

More than anything, limiting turnovers is the key to beating Houston. BYU proved once that it can do it. Now it needs to do it again.

Get to the free throw line

When you play the aggressive style of defense that Houston does, it can be difficult to avoid fouling. Houston ranks 230th nationally in fouls per game, averaging 18 per contest.

BYU took advantage of that in the first meeting, regularly getting to the free throw line. However, BYU shot just 16-28 from the charity stripe, which ultimately proved costly. It was a painful reminder that free throws matter.

BYU has six players shooting 75% or better from the line this season, several of whom have only recently begun getting more attempts. Houston will make it difficult to generate quality shots throughout the game, so finding points at the line could be critical if the offense stalls.

We know AJ Dybantsa can get to the line. Now he'll need his teammates to do the same.

Win the rebounding battle

In the previous meeting, BYU edged Houston in offensive rebounds 14-13, but Houston won the overall rebounding battle 40-36.

Outrebounding Houston is never easy, but BYU has shown renewed effort on the glass during its win streak. The blue Cougars outrebounded Texas Tech 41-34, Kansas State 40-29, and West Virginia 35-30. Effort on the boards was lacking during the losing streak, but recently BYU has been relentless.

Khadim Mboup recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Kansas State and followed it with seven rebounds in just 15 minutes against West Virginia. He has been one of the most exciting developments over the past few games.

Final Thoughts

It almost goes without saying that BYU must also remain disciplined defensively against Houston.

Defense has been a clear issue for the team over the past two months, with opponents often scoring with ease. In the last six games alone, BYU has allowed 90 or more points three times. Houston is one of the best offensive teams in the country, so BYU will need to tighten things up defensively to avoid playing from behind.

Young's group is coming off its best defensive performance of the season, holding West Virginia to 48 points on 38% shooting from the field and 28% from three. It was the fewest points BYU has allowed all season and tied the Mountaineers' lowest scoring output of the year—ironically set against Houston.

West Virginia also committed a season-high 22 turnovers after not exceeding 18 in any previous game. It was a defensive masterclass.

Offensively, BYU continues to impress despite the number of new faces in the rotation. BYU ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring offense—trailing only Arizona—at 82.1 points per game. In four of their nine conference losses, the team has still managed to score at least 82 points.

The question now is, how much gas does BYU have left in the tank?

Beating Houston is never easy. Now BYU will attempt to pull off the upset while playing its third game in three days against a well-rested Houston squad.

On paper, it's a difficult matchup given the circumstances. But if BYU can replicate the peformance it delievered against West Virginia, things could get interesting.