Preview: Texas at Oklahoma in Key SEC Men’s Basketball Matchup

NORMAN, Okla. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in a crowded Southeastern Conference race will meet Saturday when the Texas Longhorns visit the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center.

Both squads enter the Jan. 31 contest looking to halt recent slides. Texas (12-9) fell 88-82 at Auburn on Wednesday, while Oklahoma (11-9) dropped its fifth straight game, 83-79 to Arkansas on Tuesday.

The matchup features a pair of high-scoring guards in stellar form. Texas will lean on Dailyn Swain, who is averaging 24.6 points over his last five games. He poured in 30 points in the loss at Auburn and scored 34 in an overtime loss to Mississippi State earlier this month.

Oklahoma’s offense runs through Nijel Pack, who has averaged 21.2 points over his last six outings. He scored 22 in the loss to Arkansas and had 25 points and five assists in an overtime loss at Missouri last Saturday.

Despite their recent struggles, both teams have shown the ability to compete with ranked opponents. Texas earned a 92-88 road win at Alabama on Jan. 10, and Oklahoma took then-Alabama to the wire in an 83-81 home loss on Jan. 17.

The Longhorns hold a slight edge in the all-time series, but the programs have split their last 10 meetings. This will be their first encounter as SEC foes after both universities joined the conference in 2024.

Saturday’s game is the first of a home-and-home series to close the regular season. The rivals will meet again in Austin on March 7.

For now, the focus is on securing a pivotal conference win. With both teams sitting near the middle of the SEC standings, a victory is crucial for building postseason résumés.

Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.