What to look for in Texas against Mississippi State

The Texas Longhorns took down the Arkansas Razorbacks in dominant fashion, and they look to bring this momentum into their upcoming home matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Feb 5, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Aaliyah Crump (23) looks to pass during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns dominated the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday on the road, finishing with a 93-62 victory and adding another win to the column.

Following the game, head coach Vic Schaefer said that he is proud of his team’s ability to obtain their 10th win of conference play, addressing both their strengths and the categories in which they can improve ahead of their final few SEC matchups. 

The Longhorns will be back on their home court at 1 p.m. on Sunday to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and here are two things they need to accomplish to satisfy Schaefer and build momentum in this last stretch of the regular season:

Minimize fouls

Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper (55) moves the ball while guarded by Texas guard Rori Harmon (3) in the final possession of the NCAA college basketball game on Feb. 15, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Schaefer’s team is known for the tough defense that they play, but staying out of foul trouble is something they’re still working on as a team. They racked up 25 fouls on Thursday, while the Razorbacks accumulated just 16.

This fouling could be the inevitable byproduct of Texas’ defensive emphasis, but nonetheless, Schaefer hopes to control it in the games to come. However, outside of this issue, he thought his team had a strong showing in Fayetteville. 

“Other than the fouling, which I’ve got to address, I thought our kids really played hard and I’m really proud of them,” Schaefer said. 

Keep building momentum offensively 

Texas guard/forward Madison Booker (35) moves the ball past Vanderbilt guard Aga Makurat (24) during the first quarter at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the areas Schaefer took pride in was his team’s ability to shoot against the Razorbacks. If the Longhorns can continue capitalizing in that area, they could be tough to stop against the Bulldogs on Sunday. 

“This group offensively was really good tonight,” Schaefer said after the Arkansas game. “I told them at halftime ‘Man, it’s a whole lot more fun to coach, and a whole lot easier to coach when we make some shots.’ ”

Schaefer specifically addressed forward Madison Booker, who finished the game with 21 points across 26 minutes on the court. He also referenced guard Aaliyah Crump and point guard Rori Harmon, who finished with respective point totals of 16 and eight. Crump, a freshman who actually came off the bench on Thursday, has quickly emerged as an impact player for the Longhorns this season. 

Texas has had a tough schedule this season, as had the rest of the teams in their conference. But with just three games remaining in conference play, it will be interesting to see what they can accomplish.

“We have really had a tough, tough gauntlet of top-25 games, top-10 games, top-5 games, and it has really been a challenge for this group, and I’m really proud of them,” Schaefer said.