The No. 22-ranked Mizzou Tigers are set to travel to Austin, Texas, to face a tough Texas Longhorns squad on Tuesday night.
Coming off a big week with wins against Florida and Arkansas, the Tigers face a tough test as Texas has played well at the Moody Center all season.
Despite the Longhorns’ 1-4 record in conference play, they competed closely with both Auburn and Tennessee, keeping each game competitive for all 40 minutes.
Despite coming off a 20-point loss to Florida, it’s worth noting that Texas is among the best teams in the country at taking care of the basketball. Their 9.6 turnovers per game rank 13th nationally.
This will be put to the test as Anthony Robinson II will likely face the challenge of guarding star guard Tre Johnson for most of the night. Johnson, who averages 18.6 points per game, will be a focal point for the Tigers’ defense.
Arthur Kaluma has played a significant role for this Longhorns squad as well and comes in as their second-leading scorer, averaging nearly 14 points per game. The Kansas State transfer has been a key contributor for Texas so far, and there’s no reason to expect anything different tonight.
As for Mizzou, Caleb Grill is expected to play a significant role in tonight’s game. Grill’s shooting from beyond the arc and Mark Mitchell’s play near the rim have been key factors in the Tigers’ four-game winning streak. They hope to extend that streak to five tonight.
Looking closer at Texas’s most recent loss, the Longhorns fell to No. 5 Florida by 24 points. Despite the 84-60 final score, the game remained competitive for the first 30 to 35 minutes before Alijah Martin took over for the Gators. Even with the loss, Texas stayed in the game for a long stretch, and they could remain in control tonight if they limit Mizzou’s prolific defense by preventing transition opportunities.
This new SEC matchup is set to tip off at 8 p.m. Tuesday.