BIG 12 CLINCHED!
No. 4 Houston clinches Big 12 regular-season title with 73-64 win over Cincinnati
Mar 2, 2025, 10:46 am
BIG 12 CLINCHED!
L.J. Cryer scored 20 points and No. 4 Houston clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title for a second straight season with a 73-64 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Terrance Arceneaux added 10 points for Houston (25-4, 17-1 Big 12), which has won eight straight. The Cougars became the first team to win the regular-season championship in its first two years in a major conference since Idaho, which won the PCC in the 1921-22 and 1922-23 seasons. Houston joined the Big 12 in 2023.
The Cougars, who have won 12 straight over Cincinnati, shot 54% and owned a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Day Day Thomas scored 19 points and Jizzle James added 18 for Cincinnati (17-12, 7-11). The Bearcats shot 44% and were 6 of 20 on 3-pointers.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats missed a chance to improve their resume for a possible NCAA Tournament berth. Cincinnati fell to 1-10 in Quad 1 games this season.
Houston: The Cougars continue to help their cause for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with their 21st win in 22 games. Houston improved to 15-4 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season, with all of its losses coming in Quad 1 games.
Trailing 10-2 with 13½ minutes left in the first half, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called timeout, and Cryer hit a jumper out of it to start a 18-2 run. Houston led 37-25 at the half.
Houston dominated the paint with a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Houston hosts Kansas on Monday, and Cincinnati hosts Kansas State on Wednesday.
Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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