Texas may not be able to land a regular-season conference title anymore, but they can still wrap up a second seed bye for the Big 12 tournament. The spot has come down to a four-team race that Texas could lose altogether if they fall on the road to Oklahoma in the part two of the Red River Rivalry.
After a strong start to conference play, Texas has lost two straight road games to Iowa State and Kansas before finally getting a home win over the Baylor Bears on Wednesday. In the two losses, Texas shot just 33.6 percent while allowing 85.0 points and a 50.4 field goal shooting percentage. However, the Longhorns bounced back against Baylor, shooting 47.5 percent and holding the Bears to just 36.1 percent shooting. Jonathan Holmes put up eight straight shots in the second half to get the win.
Texas' chances on winning a share of the regular-season crown are slim, but they still have an opportunity. The Longhorns trail Kansas by three games with three to play. They are tied with Iowa State for second place while both Oklahoma and Kansas State are a game back. If Texas can win out, there is a chance of getting a shared title.
The road has not been kind to Texas over the past four games. The Longhorns have averaged just 61.5 points on 32.8 percent shooting in the past four matchups, something they must break against the Sooners. Oklahoma finished a bad February going 3-4 after they fell to Kansas on Monday. The Sooners have been giving up a league-high 77.0 points per game in that stretch, in need of improving their defense.
The Sooners are looking for a regular-season sweep of Texas after beating them in the first matchup, snapping an eight-game losing streak. Oklahoma ranks sixth in the nation in scoring when playing at home, averaging 87.6 points per game. Texas cannot afford to overlook their rivals on Saturday.