BYU’s Mihailo Boskovic puts up a shot during a Big 12 tournament semifinal game at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, March 14, 2025. Houston defeated BYU 74-54, knocking BYU out of the Big 12 tourney. Brice Tucker, Deseret News

KANSAS CITY — After his No. 2-ranked Houston Cougars overwhelmed the No. 17 BYU Cougars 74-54 in a lopsided Big 12 tournament semifinal Friday night, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson claimed the real champion was decided by regular season play and that these conference tournament games are nothing more than exhibitions and showcases for one of the better college basketball leagues in the country.

BYU can only hope the venerable coach is right.

The blue-wearing Cougars did not make much of a case for improving their seeding in the Big Dance next week in front of a pro-BYU crowd at T-Mobile Center, starting the contest as poorly as could be imagined.

It got a little better for coach Kevin Young’s crew as the game wore on, and there was a stretch in the second half when BYU played like it belonged, but for the most part, this was just another comeuppance issued by the Big 12 regular-season champion on its way to a No. 1 seed next week.

Houston (29-4) jumped in front 15-0, holding BYU (24-9) scoreless until Dawson Baker made a 3-point play with 13:16 remaining in the first half.

The Cougars missed their first nine shots and simply came out flat, tentative and gun-shy. That’s not a good recipe against one of the best defensive teams in the country.

“Poor start by our club,” acknowledged Young. “We came out a little flat, honestly. Not sure why in a big game like that.”

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Brigham Young Cougars center Fousseyni Traore (45) struggles for a rebound with Houston Cougars guard Mylik Wilson (8), forward Ja’Vier Francis (5) and guard Emanuel Sharp (21) during a Big 12 Championship semifinal game at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, March 14, 2025. The Houston Cougars claimed victory over BYU with a final score of 74-54, knocking BYU out of the Big 12 Championship. | Brice Tucker, Deseret New

BYU’s first half was so pathetic that an ESPN2 commentator suggested the Cougars were playing too soft and timid. From the view here, that wasn’t the case at all. The want-to and effort was there from the opening tip, but Houston is simply a nightmare matchup problem for BYU given the red team’s superior quickness and athleticism on the perimeter.

 “Look, Houston is a really good team. They lost one game in the conference (to Texas Tech) for a reason,” Young said. “Coach Kelvin Sampson knows what he’s doing, obviously, so you have to give them all the credit. I thought our guys battled back in the second half to make a couple of runs but fell short.”

Really, really short.

Junior center Keba Keita, about the only player on BYU’s roster with the athleticism to hang with Houston, had a spectacular second half, which is something the Cougars can hang their hat on after an altogether forgettable night when a lot of the eyes of the college basketball world — and the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee — were upon them.

Keita scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half and finished with a double-double, having also grabbed 12 rebounds. Trailing 41-20 at halftime, BYU used some dunks — and a couple highlight-reel blocks — from Keita to cut into Houston’s massive lead.

Richie Saunders’ breakaway dunk trimmed UH’s lead to 45-32, and the BYU crowd was close to full throat. Enter UH’s Emanuel Sharp, who sandwiched 3-pointers around a BYU turnover to end all hopes of a BYU comeback.