How NBA Draft Prospects Fared in Arizona’s Championship Win over Houston

Last year, Houston was able to outlast Arizona in the Big 12 championship, grabbing necessary experience ahead of an NCAA Tournament title run.

Today, Arizona flipped the script, nabbing a gritty, 79-74 win over the Cougars that featured a nice blend of offense and defense. The tilt was chock full of soon-to-be 2026 NBA Draft prospects, with the rotations on both sides offering plenty.

Here are how the draft prospects fared in Saturday’s championship game:

Brayden Burries, Arizona

Burries saw potentially the best outing of any in the game, stepping up time and again for Arizona when the offense got slow. He scored the final 10 points of the first half, then hit big shot after big shot in the second.

All in all, Burries would finish with 21 points on 6-for-10 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He would also tack on the game-winning free throws that would ice the game.

A 6-foot-4 combo guard, his skillset isn’t the flashiest, but is highlighted by skill across nearly everything: offense, defense, passing, rebounding and more.

Koa Peat, Arizona

Peat was aggressive from the start, using his physicality in the fronrtcourt to take it Houston’s own bigs.

He was a much-needed spark on offense, scoring to the tune of 21 points on 7-for-15 shots. His aggression also helped get him to the line, where he would hit seven of 11 tries.

Peat’s had his ups and downs this season, but has been an obviously crucial part of why the Wildcats are one of the top teams in the nation, as referenced by Saturday’s game. He eventually fouled out, but more than made his mark.

Kingston Flemings, Houston

Just a day after shining versus Kansas, Flemings saw a rough day manning the offense for the Cougars on Saturday.

The speedy, 6-foot-4 point guard would finish with just eight points on 12 shots, still managing to dice the defense with seven assists to two turnovers.

He struggled to find an offensive rhythm all day, seeing an extended stretch on the bench in the second half. He would eventually come back in, and was vital to helping Houston back into the game with his floor game alone.

JoJo Tugler, Houston

Forward Joseph Tugler is typically known for his defense, but was Houston’s top scorer on the day, adding a needed punch in the paint.

He scored 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting, managing to add 10 rebounds as well.

Motiejus Krivas, Arizona

Starting center Motiejus Krivas’ line never does his game justice, but that was especially the case in Saturday’s game, where he was highly impactful.

The box says four points, five rebounds and a block, though his impact stretched far beyond that as he deterred shot after shot in the paint. He earned one of the game-winning plays on an offensive rebound with just 22 seconds left, where he subsequently hit the free throws to put Arizona up four.

Chris Cenac Jr., Houston

A five-star forward, Cenac had seen a blistering tournament thus far, but saw a tough championship game laden with fouls.

He did still manage three stocks, but played in just 19 minutes and added five points.