How to watch, stream Houston basketball vs. Arizona for Big 12 title: TV, predictions
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Houston attempts to cap a stellar run through the Big 12 Conference this season with a tournament title.
The Cougars are in the title game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, taking on Arizona. It’s the seventh straight season - not counting the 2020 COVID year - that Houston is in a conference title game, going to last season’s Big 12 title game in its first season in the league and five straight seasons prior to that in the American Athletic Conference.
Houston still in lofty standing with 'Selection Sunday' looming on the horizon
But last season, when Houston played in its first Big 12 title game, the Cougars got steamrolled by Iowa State, so they are eager to atone for that defeat and end up winning their first tournament championship in their still-new league.
Houston (29-4), which went 19-1 in the conference during the regular season, enters Saturday’s Big 12 title game on a 12-game winning streak, and now have won 25 of its past 26 games after defeating BYU, 74-54, in Friday’s semifinal round.
In that game, the Cougars led from start to finish, scoring the game’s first 15 points. Emanuel Sharp, after scoring a team-high 19 in the quarterfinal win against Colorado, led Houston again with 26 points while LJ Cryer added 20, the second time this season the guard duo has scored at least 20 in a game.
Arizona (22-11), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, beat Kansas in Thursday’s quarterfinal and then took out the No. 2 seed, Texas Tech, 86-80, in Friday’s other semifinal. The Wildcats are playing for a conference tournament title in their debut season in the Big 12.
The Wildcats got 27 points from All-Big 12 standout Caleb Love - who leads Arizona with 16.2 points per game - and 15 from KJ Lewis. They held Red Raider forward JT Toppin, the Big 12 Player of the Year, to 11 points.
Houston and Arizona played once this season, on Feb. 15 at the Wildcats’ McKale Center in Tucson. The Cougars came away with a 62-58 win.
In other news, Houston graduate forward J’Wan Roberts sat out Friday’s game after spraining his right ankle early in the second half of Thursday’s quarterfinal. He is questionable to return Saturday, but it’s very likely coach Kelvin Sampson may choose to sit out Roberts again in hopes of having him ready for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
On that note, Houston will know where it is headed on Sunday, when the NCAA pairings are officially released. It looks like even if Houston doesn’t win Saturday, the Cougars should still come away with one of the four No. 1 seeds.
Houston vs. Arizona TV Channel, Live Stream, Predictions
Who: No. 1 seeded Houston (29-4) vs. No. 3 seed Arizona (22-11) in the title game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championship men’s college basketball tournament
When: 5 p.m. CST | Saturday, March 15
Where: T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Missouri
ESPN FPI Prediction: Houston has a 72.6% chance to win
Our Prediction: Houston 77, Arizona 73
TV Channel/Live Stream: ESPN/ESPN+
Live Stream: Stream the game live online on the ESPN app, Sling, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu, YouTube TV.
Radio Station: Listen on SiriusXM channel 80 (Houston broadcast)
Live Audio Stream: Listen online on The Varsity Network App
