Texas Longhorns Release Surprising Injury Report vs. Missouri

The Texas Longhorns will be without a key piece off the bench for Saturday's matchup against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia.

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Texas forward Lassina Traore has been ruled out for the contest after missing last week's win over Ole Miss due to what head coach Sean Miller called "knee soreness."

It's possible that Traore, who missed all of last year at Xavier due to a torn ACL suffered in the offseason, could be sitting out as a precaution but the Longhorns can't afford to play anything safe as they continue to fight for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Lassina Traore's Absence is a Bit Surprising for Texas

Texas Longhorns forward Lassina Traore enters the court before the start of the game against the Southern University Jaguars at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After the 79-68 win over Ole Miss, Miller said that Traore could have played in the game but the team held him out due to precautionary reasons.

"Lassina Traore is dealing with a knee soreness, so we could have played him, but we elected not to. So we went with Nic Codie," Miller said.

When Texas Longhorns on SI asked Miller if Traore would be able to suit up against Missouri, he said he expected him to played on Saturday and beyond. However, things have changed.

"Back to the bye week, it comes at a good time," Miller said. "We're being smart with him this week, putting him in a good position. We expect him to be available, not only for the Missouri game, but to finish strong here in the next month of the season."

However, things have changed.

I asked Sean Miller about Lassina Traore (knee soreness) after the coaching staff elected to stay cautious and sit him against Ole Miss.

"We're being smart with him ... we expect him to be available, not only for the Missouri game, but to finish strong here the next month." pic.twitter.com/vasa5yjGui
— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) February 10, 2026

In 23 games this season (one start), Traore has posted 3.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. This was highlighted by finishing with a season-high 10 points and 12 rebounds against Kansas City during non-conference play. He then had a season-high 14 rebounds against Chaminade during the Maui Invitational.

Traore has also provided a nice spark in some big games, including against No. 5 UConn when he finished with an unusual stat line of one point, seven rebounds, one block and a season-high three steals, a loss in which he also played a season-high 25 minutes in.

The numbers don't always jump off the page for Traore, but he has provided a veteran presence in the locker room while being one of the team's best rebounders and a player that executes the offense well.

Texas and Missouri will tip-off from Columbia on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT.