Game Preview: The gauntlet continues for the Texas Longhorns

Texas (12-6, 1-4 SEC) has played five SEC games, and four of them have come against teams ranked in the top 25. The grind won’t stop on Tuesday night as the No. 22 Missouri Tigers (15-3, 4-1 SEC) head to Austin to renew a rivalry from the Longhorns’ days in the Big 12.

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GAMEDAY on the FORTY 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/7X26IFaWed

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) January 21, 2025

Missouri, a former Big 12 rival who leads the all-time series with Texas 13-12, is ranked after registering SEC wins over LSU, Vanderbilt, No. 5 Florida, and Arkansas, with all those games save for the win over the Gators finishing with a margin of at least 10 points. The lone blemish on Missouri’s record in conference play is an 84-68 loss at Auburn.

Dennis Gates‘ team was picked to finish No. 13 in the SEC men’s basketball preseason poll, but currently is in a tie for second with Alabama and Ole Miss. Powered by Mark Mitchell, one-time Texas commit Tamar Bates, and Big 12 villain and reigning SEC player of the week Caleb Grill, the Tigers are playing good ball one year after finishing 8-24 and failing to win a conference game.

Texas is coming off a loss to Florida where the Longhorns surrendered 47 second-half points to the Gators as part of an 84-60 loss. Kadin Shedrick played in just 13 minutes, failed to register a point, and pulled down one rebound. Tre Johnson, Arthur Kaluma, Tramon Mark, and Ze’Rik Onyema all reached double figures, but no other Longhorn scored more than four points.

Entering Tuesday night, the matchup with Missouri functions as a Quadrant 1 game in the NET rankings. In the all-important games the NCAA Selection Committee looks at early, if not first, in determining who makes the field of 68, Texas is currently 1-5. Missouri arrives in Austin ranked No. 23 in NET, so a win over the Tigers paired with Mizzou staying in the top 25 would turn the win into a second Quadrant 1 victory.

Texas will be without Chendall Weaver, who continues to recover from a hip injury. If the Longhorns can get back on track against another ranked team, it would be a massive boost as Texas plays two more ranked teams after Tuesday’s game. Texas A&M heads to the Moody Center on Saturday then the Longhorns face former head coach Chris Beard and Ole Miss on Wednesday, January 29.

If Texas were to fall as 2.5-point favorites to Missouri, finding another win in January might be a tough task for Rodney Terry‘s squad.

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Game Notes via UT

GameDay Quick Facts

• TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by SEC Network with Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst) on the call.
• RADIO: The Longhorn Radio Network broadcasts every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
• SERIES: Missouri leads, 13-12. Last meeting: Missouri 81-67 (March 9, 2012; Kansas City).

Notables

• IT’S BEEN A MINUTE: Texas and Missouri, two former Big 12 Conference opponents, will face each other for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
• STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: The Longhorns faced an AP Top-5 opponent on Saturday (at No. 5 Florida) for the third time in their last four contests, as they previously hosted No. 2 Auburn and No. 1 Tennessee. The stretch continues as Texas will host a pair of AP Top 25 opponents this week in No. 22 Missouri and No. 13 Texas A&M.
• KALUMA SEES DOUBLE: Despite playing thru a left calf injury suffered in the Oklahoma win, senior F Arthur Kaluma recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes during Saturday’s game at No. 5/4 Florida. He leads the team in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and ranks second in scoring (13.8 ppg) this season.

2024-25 Texas Longhorns

Tre Johnson, 6-foot-6, 190 lbs, Fr., Link Academy (Mo.), 18.6 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.0 ast

Arthur Kaluma, 6-foot-7, 225 lbs, Sr., Kansas State, 13.8 pts, 7.9 reb, 2.1 ast

Jordan Pope, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs, Jr., Oregon State: 12.7 pts, 1.6 reb, 1.8 ast

Tramon Mark, 6-foot-5, 200 lbs, Gr., Arkansas: 9.6 pts, 3.5 reb, 1.2 ast

Kadin Shedrick, 6-foot-11, 231 lbs, Gr.: 7.8 pts, 5.7 reb, 0.4 ast

Chendall Weaver, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs, Jr.: 6.7 pts, 5.1 reb, 1.5 ast

Julian Larry, 6-foot-3, 185 lbs, Gr., Indiana State: 5.6 pts, 1.6 reb, 3.8 ast

Jayson Kent, 6-foot-8, 215 lbs, Gr., Indiana State: 4.3 pts, 2.2 reb, 0.7 ast

Ze’Rik Onyema, 6-foot-9, 235 lbs, Sr.: 4.2 pts, 2.7 reb, 0.4 ast

Devon Pryor, 6-foot-7, 185 lbs, So.: 3.3 pts, 1.6 reb, 0.6 ast

Nic Codie, 6-foot-8, 200 lbs, Fr., Dallas (Texas) Newman Smith: 2.8 pts, 1.3 reb, 0.3 ast

Jamie Vinson, 6-foot-11, 225 lbs, Fr., Oak Hill Academy (Va.): 2.5 pts, 1.1 rebs, 0.2 ast

Cole Bott, 6-foot-6, 195 lbs, Gr. (walk-on): 0.7 pts, 0.3 rebs, 0.5 ast

Preston Clark, 6-foot-6, 220 lbs, R-So. (walk-on): 0.3 pts, 1.5 rebs, 0.3 ast

Malik Presley, 6-foot-6, 200 lbs, So., Vanderbilt

Anthon McDermott, 6-foot-5, 185 lbs, Fr., Hallsville (Texas) (walk-on)

Projected Missouri Starters

G Anthony Robinson II: 10.5 pts, 3.6 reb, 3.8 ast

G Tony Perkins: 7.9 pts, 2.2 rebs, 2.3 ast

G Tamar Bates: 12.9 pts, 3.0 reb, 1.3 ast

F Trent Pierce: 8.4 pts, 3.2 reb, 0.8 ast

F Mark Mitchell: 13.8 pts, 4.9 reb, 1.8 ast