No. 6 Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners: Preview & How to Watch
The No. 6 ranked Texas Longhorns (11-1) square off against rival Oklahoma Sooners (9-3) in Norman Saturday afternoon. The matchup will be both team's opener in the Big 12 conference ahead of the calendar changing to 2023.
Both teams have been tested ahead of this important clash. Starting with Texas they have already faced four power six opponents. Gonzaga, Creighton, Illinois, and Stanford all fought against the Longhorns with Texas coming out 3-1 in those contests. Texas also played three quality mid major programs in UTEP, Rice, and Louisiana.
Oklahoma has been all over the map so far this basketball season. The Sooners dropped their home opener on a buzzer beater to Sam Houston State. During Thanksgiving week the Sooners played in the ESPN Invitational where they won the tournament beating quality teams in Nebraska, Seton Hall and Ole Miss. Oklahoma’s two other losses came at the hands of Villanova on the road and No. 9 Arkansas on a neutral court.
Texas is entering the contest with momentum from a record breaking performance Tuesday from guard Marcus Carr. Carr, who tied a Longhorns single-game record for points in a half with 33 in the first half, also tied a program-high 10 3-pointers on 15 attempts. He finished with 41 points helping the Longhorns handle Texas A&M-Commerce Lions 97-72.
Oklahoma will be led by Nevada transfer Grant Sherfield who leads the team in scoring with 18 points per game. Sherfield has been the offensive production for the Sooners as of late scoring 21 or more points in five of his last seven games. The Sooners though will lean on defense as they hold opponents to only 60.7 points per game.
For the Longhorns the key will also be heavily focused on the defensive end. Texas has held its competitors to 62.2 points per game, as that will be a major focus during conference play. The Longhorns also will hope to have big afternoons from guard Tyrese Hunter and Forward Timmy Allen. Last season Allen scored 20 points in Norman as he will look to build off his last couple of games on offense.
Last season the Longhorns swept the season series over the Sooners. Texas won 66-52 in Austin and also 80-78 in an overtime thriller in Norman. Expect another exciting matchup once again Saturday afternoon.
Game Information: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Date/Time: Saturday, December 31st at 1 p.m. CT
Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma
Betting Via SI Sportsbook: Texas -3
Moneyline: Texas -140, Oklahoma +120
Over/Under: 133.5
TV/Streaming: ESPN Plus
Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network/104.9 The Horn (Austin Flagship)
You can follow Adam Glick on Twitter @adamglick39
Want to see the Horns in action? Get your Texas Longhorns game tickets from SI Tickets here!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here to Subscribe to the Longhorns Country Newsletter
Want even more Texas Longhorns? Check out the SI.com team page here
Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure to subscribe to the Longhorns Country Podcast today! Click here To Listen.
