Texas Longhorns vs Baylor Bears Prediction & Match Preview - December 13, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball
Match Details
Fixture: Texas Longhorns vs. Baylor Bears - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Sunday, December 13 at 3PM ET
Venue: Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas
The No. 2 Baylor Bears will host their in-state rival No. 12 Texas Longhorns in a Sunday afternoon showdown. This will be the 257th meeting between the Bears and Longhorns, dating back an incredible 106 years. Through all of the back-and-forth battles, Texas holds a commanding 163-93 series lead. Baylor has gotten the better of Texas in recent years, however, accumulating an 18-8 series record since 2009.
Baylor Bears Preview
The Baylor Bears have had a far-from-ordinary beginning to their season, seeing three of their first seven games cancelled due to COVID. In the four games they have played, the Bears have looked very sharp. Outscoring their opponents 363-255 through four games, Baylor has earned top-10 rankings on offense and defense.
Baylor will hope to keep momentum on Sunday with sharpshooters Jared Butler and Adam Flagler leading the charge. Baylor's defensive prowess has been led by sophomore Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, a 6'8" forward from Cameroon. The Bears biggest win of the season thus far came against the No. 5 Illinois Fightin' Illini; a 13-point victory at the Jimmy V Classic in Indianapolis.
Key Player - Jared Butler
Junior guard Jared Butler will be looking to continue his tremendous start to the 2020-21 season on Sunday against the Texas Longhorns. Butler leads the Baylor Bears' offense, averaging just over 15 points and nearly 5 assists per game. Butler's athleticism allows him to break through defenses and explode to the rim, while his 3-point shooting ability makes him a threat from the perimiter as well. Expect to hear Jared Butler's name very often on Sunday, as the Bears will be counting on his production to counter a talented Texas offense.
Baylor Bears Predicted Lineup
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Adam Flagler, Jared Butler, Mark Vital, Davion Mitchell
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Texas Longhorns Preview
The Texas Longhorns have had a nearly perfect start to their season, only losing to a very solid No. 9 Villanova Wildcats team by four points. The Longhorns have shown talent at every position, and are entering the conversation for a deep tournament run this season led by head coach Shaka Smart.
Having already won this year's Maui Invitational by beating the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels, the Texas Longhorns could make another huge statement with a win over Baylor on Sunday.
Key Player - Matt Coleman III
The key factor for the Texas Longhorns could be senior guard Matt Coleman III. Averaging 14.5 PPG and shooting just under 50 percent from the field, Coleman III has been the Longhorns most consistent producer this year. Expect to see Coleman knock down some threes on Sunday as the Longhorns look to move to 6-1.
Texas Longhorns Predicted Lineup
Greg Brown, Jericho Sims, Courtney Ramey, Matt Coleman III, Andrew Jones
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Texas vs. Baylor Prediction
While the Texas Longhorns' offense has shown to be very productive this season, the Baylor Bears' defense will stand strong and hold on for a victory. Jared Butler should perform well against this undersized Longhorns defense, and I expect the Bears to run away with this game, 76-68.
How to watch Texas vs. Baylor
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 3PM ET.