Houston is a problem.
The Cougars are the Big 12 Conference’s version of UCLA under Mick Cronin. Every game against them is a grind.

Michael Lev is a senior writer/columnist for the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV, Tucson.com and .
Houston came into Saturday’s matchup vs. Arizona leading the Big 12 despite ranking eighth in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage. The Cougars were first in points allowed and field goal percentage allowed.
It's no secret what their DNA is under Kelvin Sampson. Arizona saw it first-hand in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, when the Cougars upset a No. 1-seeded UA team featuring more top-end talent than this one has.
The high-noon showdown at McKale Center felt a lot like the last game between Arizona and UCLA. The Wildcats were in control until they weren’t.
Arizona built a seven-point lead with 9:10 to play on the last of Caleb Love’s game-high seven assists to a cutting KJ Lewis. Houston then went on a 12-0 run to seize the advantage for good.
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The final score was 62-58. Those 58 points were the fourth fewest the Wildcats have scored this season. They’ve lost all four of those games.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) looks to pass the ball between two Houston defenders during the game against the Cougars at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.
Sampson talked extensively after the game about controlling the pace. Houston had no interest in running-and-gunning with Arizona. And the Cougars made sure that didn’t happen.
“We needed to get this game at our pace,†Sampson said. “We talk to our kids in terms of 10-minute intervals. If we can keep them somewhere around 15 points each 10 minutes, it’s usually gonna come out around 60. If it's in the high 50s, low 60s, even mid-60s, we think we have a good chance to win.â€
Houston has scored fewer than 70 points eight times this season. The Cougars are 7-1 in those games — with the only loss coming against No. 1 Auburn.
“We play the way we play,†said Sampson, who’s had 11 seasons to put his imprint on the UH program. “How you saw us play is how we play just about every game. We're not always pretty.
“If somebody were to describe our team ... our kids understand what it takes to win. No matter who we're playing, no matter where we're playing.
“They practice the right way. They stay connected. We have no egos. It’s continuing to control the controllables. For us, that's our defense, our effort, our rebounding.â€

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley dribbles down the court during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.
Arizona held its own in those areas, as it has all season. Houston shot just 43% from the floor. The Wildcats outrebounded the Cougars 39-30.
Houston unquestionably executed better down the stretch, whether that was patiently setting up good shots or knocking down free throws.
Arizona missed four foul shots in the final 5:01 of a game it lost by four points. Entering Saturday, Houston ranked first in the Big 12 and 10th nationally in opponent’s free throw percentage — which seems like a completely irrelevant, nonsensical statistic, right? No one guards you at the line. They call them free throws for a reason.
But maybe there’s something to this. Houston makes you work for every shot. The Cougars aggressively double-team in almost every pick-and-roll situation. It’s reasonable to wonder if their grind-it-out style has a cumulative effect over the course of a game, leading to fatigue — and to missed foul shots.
Houston ranked 11th nationally in opponent’s free throw percentage last season.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, shown against Baylor on Feb. 10, has put his imprint on the Cougars' program over the past 10-plus seasons.
“We emphasize so much the last 30 minutes of practice in October,†Sampson said. “A lot of guys wear down as practice goes on because they're allowed to. Our last 30 minutes of practice is no different to me than our first 30 minutes.
"Accountability is an important thing in a program. There's not a lot of discussion when it comes down to how hard we play, how hard we compete.â€
It’s also reasonable to wonder if some of Arizona’s best players are playing too many minutes.
Jaden Bradley was averaging 37.2 minutes per game in Big 12 play entering Saturday — and hit his average against Houston. Love was averaging 36.4 and played 38.
Bradley’s four points were his fewest in a Big 12 game. He made only 1 of 6 shots.
Love had a team-high 17 points. His seven assists matched his season high. His five turnovers were also a season high.
Tommy Lloyd has always advocated for Conrad Martinez but doesn’t seem to trust him enough to play him in games like this, even for a few minutes to give Bradley a break. Lloyd also doesn’t seem to trust the defensively deficient Anthony Dell’Orso to play in crunch-time moments. He’s played less than 20 minutes in six of the past eight games despite knocking down shots when he’s on the floor.

Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd pulls guard Caleb Love for a quick chat during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.
“We're playing guys a lot of minutes,†Lloyd conceded. “We could have got worn down a little bit. They could have been worn down a little bit. Those are hard-fought games. Those are battles.
“We're at where we're at. We're putting players out there that we think give us the best chance to be successful, to win the game. Maybe they're a little bit tired. But I know this: If you want something bad enough, there's always something left in the tank.â€
Houston being the bully of the Big 12 isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Arizona needs a foil beyond ASU. UCLA played that role before the Pac-12 disintegrated. The Cougars even wore black for the occasion.
There’s no shame in losing to the sixth-ranked team in the country — No. 3 in the KenPom ratings — whose only regulation loss is the aforementioned setback against Auburn.
But it isn’t difficult to envision Arizona carrying a three-game losing streak into its next home game next Saturday against BYU.
The UA visits Baylor on Monday night. The Bears are a fringe Top 25 team. They’re 12-1 at home. They’ll have revenge on their minds after losing 81-70 at McKale on Jan. 15.
Like its best team, the Big 12 is unrelenting.
Photos: Houston wins 62-58 over Arizona at McKale Center, Big 12 men's basketball

Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) wins possession of the ball over Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona guard Caleb Love (1) charges to the net during an offensive play in the first half against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) attempts a dunk over Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) in the second half of the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona band hypes the stadium up before the start of the Big 12 game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) dunks the ball over Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) during the game at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd argues with the referee after a missed call in the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) looks to pass the ball while Houston defenders put heavy pressure on him, McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona guard Caleb Love (1) gets the jump shot off, earning two-points for the Wildcats during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley dribbles down the court during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) dunks the ball during the first half of the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) looks to pass the ball between two Houston defenders during the game against the Cougars at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson talks to players on his bench while an assistant coach holds a sign that reads “Passing gameâ€, McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) fights for the ball against Cougars forward Ja'Vier Francis (5) during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) dribbles into Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4) during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

A young Wildcat basketball fan helps forward Carter Bryant (9) warm up before the game against the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) looks to pass the ball while Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) puts him under pressure in the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Fans cheer after the Wildcats maintain their lead in the first half of the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) gets stuck in the corner by Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4), McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) hangs onto the rim after dunking on a Houston defender at McKale Center, Feb. 15.

Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) fouls Cougars guard Terrance Arceneaux (23) in the final minutes of the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) earns two points for Arizona during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) grabs the ball from Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) during the first half of the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) dunks the ball against Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) in the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd pulls guard Caleb Love for a quick chat during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) jumps in front of a Houston pass, winning possession of the ball for Arizona, McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) goes for two-points against Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13), McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) blocks Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) pass during the first half of the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) and guard KJ Lewis (5) jump for the rebound during the first half of the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

A Houston defender grabs onto Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) as he dribbles to the net during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) swats at the ball while Cougars forward Ja'Vier Francis (5) attempts to create space to shoot the ball, McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) puts heavy pressure on Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) get the lay up off over Houston forward J'Wan Roberts (13) during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Jack Murphy, Arizona assistant head coach yells at his team from the sidelines during the second half of the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona guard Caleb Love (1) charges the net to earn two-points for the Wildcats during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) attempts to get two-points for the Wildcats during the game against the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) stops Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) from getting the shot off during the game at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) looks to pass the ball near the net during the game against Houston at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) gets his hand on the ball while Houston forward J'Wan Roberts (13) looks to get two-points for the Cougars, McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) celebrates after sinking a three-point shot in the first half of the game against the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) looks to pass the ball over Houston Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4) during the game against the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.

Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) and Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) chat with each other in the final moments of the game, McKale Center, Feb.15, 2025.

Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) takes practice shots before the Wildcats face the Houston Cougars at McKale Center, Feb. 15, 2025.
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social