Feb. 7 isn’t just another Big 12 game as much as it is a measuring stick for BYU basketball. The Cougars welcome #8 Houston to the Marriott Center in what might be the most revealing test of the season. Oddsmakers have Houston as a 7.5u2011point favorite, even in Provo, which tells you everything about the national perception of this matchup.
Houston rolls in at 20–2, second in the Big 12, and once again positioned as a legitimate Final Four threat. Kelvin Sampson has done another spectacular job in his Houston tenure with this year’s squad as they’ve bulldozed most of their conference slate, with the only hiccup coming in Lubbock by four points.