How to Watch No. 14 Kansas Men's Basketball vs. No. 5 Houston On ESPN's Big Monday, Vitals, Injury Report and Betting Line
Date: Monday, Feb. 23, 2026
Tipoff: 8 p.m. CST
Location: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kansas)
TV: ESPN
Play-by-Play: Jon Sciambi
Analyst: Fran Fraschilla
Radio: Jayhawk Sports Network
Betting Line: Kansas +1.5 (FanDuel)
Vitals
The lights will be bright Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse. No. 14 Kansas men's basketball returns home for one of its biggest games of the season, hosting No. 5 Houston in an 8 p.m. tip on ESPN’s Big Monday. Both teams enter looking to steady themselves after losses over the weekend, adding even more urgency to an already high-profile matchup.
Kansas is coming off a disappointing performance against Cincinnati, a game head coach Bill Self said lacked competitiveness. The message since has been simple: regroup and respond.
“We’ve got to stay together,” Self said. “If you can’t make other people play poorly no matter where you’re playing, it could be a long afternoon or evening.”
That challenge only intensifies against Houston, a team known for its toughness and discipline on the defensive end. Self didn’t mince words when comparing the Cougars’ defensive numbers to Cincinnati’s, calling them even better.
For Kansas, the spotlight will again fall on freshman guard Darryn Peterson and sophomore center Flory Bidunga. Peterson remains the team’s leading scorer and spark when he’s on the floor, while Bidunga anchors the paint and gives the Jayhawks a steady presence inside. Veterans Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. provide experience in the backcourt, something Kansas will need in a game that figures to be physical and tightly contested.
Houston has won the last three meetings in the series, giving Kansas another layer of motivation in front of its home crowd.
In February, every game carries weight. Monday night feels even bigger.
Kansas head coach Bill Self Quotables:
On Houston’s defense coming up:
“Houston’s numbers are even better than Cincinnati’s and Cincinnati’s defensive numbers are really, really good.”
On the message moving forward after Cincinnati loss:
“We’ll meet tomorrow. Things happen and we’ve got to stay together. They’re great kids, but we weren’t competitive today.
If you can’t make other people play poorly no matter where you’re playing, it could be a long afternoon or evening. That’s exactly what happened.”
Projected Starting Lineups
Kansas Jayhawks
Flory Bidunga
Tre White
Melvin Council Jr.
Bryson Tiller
Darryn Peterson
Houston Cougars
Kingston Flemings
Emanuel Sharp
Milos Uzan
Joseph Tugler
Chris Cenac
Injury Report:
