LAWRENCE
Tre White is a creature of habit.
Before each home game, White is the first one on the Allen Fieldhouse court. His focus? Shooting all sorts of 3-pointers all around the arc, in multiple different scenarios.
This time, the shooting exhibition continued well past the opening tip.
With the Kansas offense struggling for much of Monday night’s game, White made many of those same 3-pointers that he attempts in warmups — only with a roaring crowd of 15,300 fans celebrating each make.
No. 14 Kansas upset No. 5 Houston 69-56. The Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) improved to 41-0 in Big Monday home games under Bill Self.
White was the star of this one.
The senior wing led the Jayhawks with 23 points. He went 6-for-9 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3 and 8-for-8 at the line. He was joined by Darryn Peterson (14 points), Bryson Tiller (11 points) and Melvin Council (11 points) in double figures. Peterson, KU’s freshman star, struggled through a 5-for-14 shooting night but hit a late 3.
Jamari McDowell also made two important 3-pointers.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Jamari McDowell (11) yells after forcing a shot clock violation during the first half vs. the Houston Cougars on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Dominick Williams [email protected]
This game flipped going into halftime.
After trailing most of the first half, KU closed the period on an 11-0 run to take a 31-27 lead. Then the Jayhawks pushed their advantage to double figures and rode out the win. They led by as many as 20 and never let Houston get closer than 13 points in the final 10:29.
Houston led by as many as eight points in the first half.
Up next for KU: Kansas travels to Tucson, Arizona, to play No. 2 Arizona on Saturday.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Monday’s game:
KU basketball’s defense was excellent
On a night when KU’s offense struggled early, the Jayhawks’ defense, led by a national defensive player of the year candidate, was phenomenal.
In fact, it was the only reason why Kansas was within single digits for the entirety of the first half.
KU’s defense suffocated the Houston offense. Every possession was a battle for the Cougars, with the Jayhawks even forcing a shot clock violation.
Houston shot just 33% from the field, including 10% from 3-point range, in the first half. The Cougars made only one 3-point shot in the period. They finished the game 31.8% from the field and 20.8% from 3.
Coach Bill Self, in his postgame TV interview on the Allen Fieldhouse floor, said big man Flory Bidunga dominated the game, largely defensively, despite only scoring four points.
Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) backs down Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) during the first half on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Dominick Williams [email protected]
The Jayhawks also scored 14 points off Houston turnovers.
Melvin Council gets back on track
KU guard Melvin Council came into Monday on a cold streak.
Council had shot 6-for-19 (31.6%) from the field in his last two games and didn’t score more than seven points in either game.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. takes a selfie with the fans following the Jayhawks win vs. the Houston Cougars on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Dominick Williams [email protected]
But when KU made its run in the second half, Council was at the center of it. He played excellent defense and stuffed the stat sheet on offense. He raced down the floor to lead the fast break and hit a number of timely baskets.
Council finished with 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting, but he scored seven of those in the second half. He added six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Free throws were crucial
While the Jayhawks’ offense took time to find a rhythm, there is one thing Kansas did at an impressively high level:
KU got to the free-throw line — and almost never missed.
In fact, those early free throws proved instrumental in keeping the Jayhawks in the game. KU finished 18-for-20 (90%) on free throws, including a perfect 11-for-11 in the first half.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) drives into the lane during the first half vs. the Houston Cougars on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Dominick Williams [email protected]
On the other end, Houston didn’t miss at the line (9-for-9), but the Jayhawks managed to avoid fouling to keep the Cougars from getting easy points.
Almost every bucket was hard to come by Monday, and the Jayhawks’ advantage in free-throw makes and attempts proved vital. White led KU by going 8-for-8. Tiller went 5-for-7, Council 3-for-3 and Peterson 2-for-2.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 10:38 PM.
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Shreyas Laddha
The Kansas City Star
Shreyas Laddha covers KU hoops and football for The Star. He’s a Georgia native and graduated from the University of Georgia.
