No. 5 Houston begins defense of Big 12 tournament title vs. BYU

No. 5 Houston made a quick Big 12 impact last season, winning the conference tournament in its second year in the league.

Now, the second seed begins its run at a repeat Thursday against 10th-seeded BYU in a battle of the Cougars in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo.

The victor will face the winner of the quarterfinal between third-seeded Kansas and TCU, the sixth seed, in the second semifinal Friday night.

Houston (26-5) appears to have gotten some of its mojo back entering the postseason.