The Texas Longhorns (14-5, 3-3 Big 12) take a two-game Big 12 winning streak into Provo on Saturday and will face a ranked BYU Cougar (14-5, 2-4 Big 12) team that has lost its last two games. Rodney Terry’s team beat a Top-10 Baylor team in Austin a week ago and followed the win up by serving No. 11 Oklahoma a 75-60 loss in Norman, their first at home this season. The game marks the third in a four-game stretch for the Longhorns against AP-Top 25 ranked Big 12 teams.
BYU holds an impressive 10-2 home record at the Marriott Center with their only losses coming at the hands of the Cincinnati Bearcats and Houston Cougars. The Cougars come in to the matchup losing consecutive games to Texas Tech and Houston and now sit in 11th place in the Big 12.
The Longhorns haven’t played in Provo since 1974. The Cougars are currently favored by 8 points, but a win would be the biggest upset (according to the spread) for Texas since they won at Purdue in 2019 as 7 point underdogs. It will not be an easy task for Terry and the Longhorns, as BYU ranks 13th nationally in attendance with an average of nearly 15,000 fans per game. It will be a loud and lively arena and the fans will try their hardest to make things difficult for the ‘Horns.
Graduate transfer guard Max Abmas leads the Longhorns in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game. In the win against the Sooners Abmas had 22 points which moved him into 15th place on the all-time NCAA scoring list. Graduate forward and now-healthy Dylan Disu notched his first double-double of the season in Norman, scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds.
BYU senior guard Jaxson Robinson leads Mark Pope’s team in scoring with 13.7 points per game. 6’11” junior Noah Waterman averages 10.8 points per game, but in his last two games is averaging 17.5 points per game.
BYU leads the all-time series 4-2 and won the last meeting between the two 86-82 (11/25/2013 – CBE Hall of Fame Classic, Kansas City).
The game tips off at 1:00 PM CST and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with John Schriffen and Chris Spatola calling the game.
