No. 5 Houston vs. No. 14 Kansas will Showcase Top Draft Prospects

College basketball has seen some titanic matchups over the last weeks, including No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 2 Houston.

Tonight will feature much of the same, with two top-25 matchups, one of which incudes now-fifth-ranked Houston facing off against the up-and-down No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks.

Like most battles between the top teams in the country, tonight’s action is set to push NBA Draft prospects to center stage, with potential No. 1 pick Darryn Peterson facing off against one of the class’s top risers in Kingston Flemings. Additionally, players like Flory Bidunga, Chris Cenac Jr., JoJo Tugler and more will look to bolster their stock.

Peterson enters the game after a few weeks under the microscope. He came into the season as the top-ranked player in the class for many, and the only knock on his game so far has been availability. He's averaging 19.8 points on 48% shooting, cashing in on 41% of a high volume of 3-pointers.

Darryn Peterson iso work pic.twitter.com/WftlodRtuZ
— MBB Performances (@mbbperformances) February 14, 2026

The star guard has been in an out of the lineup all season for various reasons, but things especially heated up when he checked himself out of a game against Oklahoma State. From there, questions have arose surrounding his draft stock.

That makes tonight’s contest especially important.

It’s also important for Houston, who is looking to avoid a third-straight loss amid one of the tougher stretches for any team all season.

Flemings, likely the top point guard option in the class right now, has been good, but he’ll need to be great for the Cougars to avoid a loss in Lawrence. He’s averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 assists per game on the season, showcasing scoring via jump-shooting, elite passing and solid defensive chops.

Other top prospects will look to fit in where they can on the national stage. Bidunga's defense has been among the best in the country, and he'll need to stand out to take down Houston. Another five-star in Cenac has seen an up-and-down first season in Houston, but has shown flashes of an essential wing skillset in a 6-foot-11 frame.

Upperclassmen such as Tugler and Uzan will look to right the ship and prove they're worthy of NBA buy-in.

Peterson and Flemings aren't guaranteed to spend time guarding one another, but in seeing two top-five prospects face off, there's sure to be fireworks.

The two teams tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS.