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Here are my top five takeaways from the UA’s 72-64 loss to top seed Houston in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri:

1. Late no-show

This was a remarkably similar game to the first meeting with the Cougars.

Back on Feb. 15 at McKale Center, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ had a five-point lead at halftime, led by seven with 9:10 left and got outscored 21-10 the rest of the way.

Saturday, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ had a five-point lead at halftime, led by one with 5:32 left and got outscored 11-2 the rest of the way.

Simply put, the Cougars outexecuted the Wildcats down the stretch in both games.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ could not get a good shot in the halfcourt in the last five minutes Saturday. Here’s what happened, possession by possession:

– Jaden Bradley air-ball 3-pointer with shot clock expiring

– KJ Lewis missed 3 from the wing

– Caleb Love air-ball 3-pointer from well beyond the arc

– Bradley double-dribble after drive into traffic

– Love travel after drive into traffic

– Love contested air-ball 3-pointer

After Tobe Awaka’s putback gave the Wildcats a one-point lead with 5:32 remaining, the only points they scored came via Love’s free throws when he was fouled on a fastbreak.

Tommy Lloyd certainly bears some of the blame for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s inability to get any good looks over those final five minutes. Houston also might be the best defensive team in the nation.

I also think the grind of playing three tough games in three days caught up to the Wildcats. You could say the same about the Cougars, but they got to play No. 16 seed Colorado in the quarterfinals and pulled away from BYU in the semis. Both finishes were stress-free.

2. Big 12, big time

All that being said, this was indisputably a successful conference tournament — and a successful conference season — for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

If you include every game played against a Big 12 opponent — from West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis to Houston in Saturday’s title game — the Wildcats posted a 16-8 record. Did anyone expect that in their first year in what’s at worst the second-best basketball league in the country? Did anyone expect it when ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ started 4-5?

The Wildcats wobbled over the final 3½ weeks of the regular season amid a tough slate that included road games against Iowa State and Kansas. Winning two of three in the Big 12 Tournament — and going toe-to-toe with one of a handful of legitimate national-title contenders in Houston — will give ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ positive momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Do the Wildcats have some areas they need to clean up? Absolutely. Their 3-point defense was lacking Saturday, a problem that was hardly new. Houston’s first basket came on a pick-and-pop 3 that was terribly defended. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ also let Houston walk into a couple of open 3-pointers. You can’t give teams of that caliber that much space.

The Cougars were incredibly efficient in the second half, making 48.3% of their field goals, 50% of their 3-pointers and 100% of their free throws while committing only two turnovers. They hit some tough shots. But over the final 20 minutes, the Wildcats didn’t make it as hard on them as they made it on the Wildcats.

3. Rotation situation

Lloyd shrunk his rotation Saturday, out of necessity. He basically played six guys.

Trey Townsend and Anthony Dell’Orso started but played only eight and five minutes, respectively.

Townsend had been on a roll coming in, scoring in double figures in three consecutive games. He was ineffective against Houston, which wouldn’t let him muscle his way to the basket and contested his attempts at the rim. Hopefully this was just a minor setback for Townsend, who had been trending up — and whose big-game experience should be an asset in the NCAA Tournament.

Dell’Orso was a nonfactor Saturday; the only stats he registered were a pair of missed field goals. Certain matchups just don’t work for Dell’Orso, who lacks the strength of fellow guards Bradley, Love and Lewis. The Duke game back in November was another example; Dell’Orso played only four minutes that night.

You can get away with a smaller rotation in the NCAA Tournament, which affords a day off between games. But it’s not preferrable, and it’s certainly not something Lloyd wants to do.

Lloyd did show some different looks against the Cougars. At one point he shifted Carter Bryant to small forward with Awaka at the “fourâ€� and Henri Veesaar at the “five.â€� Lloyd also inserted Conrad Martinez at the end of the first half while keeping Bradley and Love on the court, giving ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ three capable ball-handlers.

If nothing else, it’ll give ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s next opponent something else to think about.

4. Tobe and Henri

Neither Awaka nor Veesaar shrunk from the moment. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s big men combined for 14 points and 15 rebounds.

Saturday was easily Awaka’s best game in the Big 12 Tournament. He played just 20 total minutes in the first two games, totaling six points and eight rebounds. Against Houston, Awaka played 24 minutes and had a game-high nine boards.

It's probably not a coincidence that Awaka’s strong performance came at Townsend’s expense. Although both started, their games don’t complement each other. Neither has the ability to block shots or stretch the floor like Veesaar (or Bryant, for that matter).

What Awaka can do is provide a physical presence in the paint. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is a better rebounding team when he’s on the floor.

Speaking of rebounds, Veesaar showed off his athleticism with a wicked one-handed putback dunk in the second half. Veesaar regularly plays above the rim and has excellent footwork for a 7-footer. I’ll be shocked if he isn’t a productive NBA player, whether that’s next season or the one after.

Similar to former Wildcat Deandre Ayton, Veesaar has the ability to defend smaller players in pick-and-roll switches — a must for NBA bigs. Veesaar doesn’t have Ayton’s physique. But his motor is superior.

5. ‘You gotta be tough!’

Kudos to ESPN for taking us inside one of Lloyd’s huddles during the first half.

After watching the Cougars swat the ball out of the Wildcats’ hands a couple of times, Lloyd admonished them: “You gotta be tough! You gotta be tough!� I’ve never seen him look so intense.

Lloyd hit the ground running at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. He has posted a .774 winning percentage over four seasons. His teams have won two regular-season conference championships and two tournament championships and failed to make a conference tourney title game only once.

It's a heck of a résumé for a first-time head coach. But Lloyd won’t truly win over the fanbase until the Wildcats make it past the Sweet 16.

That’s as far as ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has gotten in three NCAA Tournament appearances under Lloyd. In between, the Wildcats got upset in the first round as a 2-seed.

Sean Miller never led ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to the Final Four. But the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight three times in a five-year span from 2011-15.

Ultimately, Lloyd’s success will be measured by his record in the NCAA Tournament. Can he guide ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to an Elite Eight — or even its first Final Four appearance since 2001?

If Houston is the measuring stick, it certainly seems possible. The Wildcats were plenty tough enough Saturday against one of the most physical teams in the country. They proved their toughness time and again during the Big 12 gauntlet.

The question is whether they can do it against Houston-caliber opponents for a full 40 minutes. We’ll find out soon.