Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns Prediction & Match Preview - January 26, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The No. 5 Texas Longhorns will host the Oklahoma Sooners in a Big 12 matchup on Tuesday night.
This is the first of two times that these teams will face each other this season. The Sooners control the overall series over their conference rivals with a 37-48 record, but the ranked Longhorns won the latest matchup, 52-51, in March 2020.
The Texas Longhorns may move up in the AP Top 25 Poll, despite their last two games being postponed for health and safety protocols, as the No.4 Iowa Hawkeyes lost their matchup earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners are on a three-game winning streak and are coming off an upset win over the Kansas Jayhawks.
Match Details
Fixture: Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Texas Longhorns Preview
The Texas Longhorns will be coming off a nine-day layoff heading into their game against the Oklahoma Sooners, as both their games last week were postponed.
The Longhorns will be hoping to continue the hot shooting streak that they were on prior to the pause. They converted on a total of 25 three-pointers in their last two games. The team also has a top-ten defense that, according to kenpom.com, is allowing just 89.6 per 100 possession.
If the Texas Longhorns can continue to convert over 10 three-pointers and maintain their defensive prowess, they will easily walk away with a win on Tuesday night.
Key Player - Greg Brown
After having three key players out for COVID-19-related issues during their last outing, the Texas Longhorns should have their full roster with them against the Oklahoma Sooners.
One of the players expected to return for the Longhorns is Greg Brown. The starting forward is averaging 11.8 points and eight rebounds a game.
Brown has impressed many in his freshman campaign this season and is expected to be a lottery pick if he chooses to leave at the end of the season.
If Greg Brown can dominate the paint and control the boards against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Texas Longhorns will earn their twelfth win of the season.
Texas Longhorns Predicted Lineup
F Jericho Sims, F Greg Brown, G Andrew Jones, G Matt Coleman III, G Courtney Ramey
Oklahoma Sooners Preview
The Oklahoma Sooners pulled off an upset victory over the Kansas Jayhawks, 75-68, on Saturday afternoon. They controlled the rebounding battle with a +10 margin, 36-26.
Here is what Oklahoma's head coach, Lon Kruger, had to say after his team's hard-fought victory:
"Fought like crazy. Buckets were hard to come by, at times, on both ends of the floor. Again, just proud of our guys."
The Oklahoma Sooners have won three of its last four games but will need to maintain their effort and energy to knock off the Texas Longhorns.
Key Player - De'Vion Harmon
De'Vion Harmon is the key player for the Oklahoma Sooners. The sophomore guard has been on fire recently, averaging 20 points in his last three outings, including scoring 22 points in the upset win over Kansas.
Harmon's 22 points on Saturday night came after an emotional week. He lost his great-grandmother earlier in the week and wanted to put on a performance that would make her and the rest of his family proud.
Here is De'Vion Harmon's press conference after Saturday's game, via soonerscoop.com:
Harmon will be a big factor in Oklahoma's success in the game against the Texas Longhorns.
Oklahoma Sooners Predicted Lineup
F Elijah Harkless, F Alondes Williams, C Kur Kuath, G Austin Reaves, G De'Vion Harmon
Oklahoma vs Texas Prediction
The Texas Longhorns will defeat their Big 12 rival on Tuesday night with their full strength roster. The Oklahoma Sooners, who have played great basketball lately, will not produce enough offense against the Longhorns' suffocating defense.
Expect a big game from Greg Brown, who is is expected to return to the lineup and dropped 15 points in his last outing.
With a win on Tuesday, the Texas Longhorns will be just half a game away from first place in the Big 12.
Where to watch Oklahoma vs Texas
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.