The 24th-ranked Texas Longhorns (35-10, 20-10 NBA) will once again return to Arlington for their annual Big 12 Championship appearance, opening the tournament this season against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (31-24, 12-18 NBA).
These two teams come into the tournament showdown on completely opposite trajectories. Texas Tech lost to the Arizona State Sun Devils in their last game, and they lost seven of their next eight games, with their only win coming against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. But things are looking up for the Longhorns.
They enter this contest with three straight wins and secure their first sweep in conference play against the Kansas Jayhawks to end the regular season. They ended the season with six consecutive wins in the series, pushing their overall record in the conference series to an overwhelming 9 wins and 1 loss. The only loss was, of course, to the BYU Cougars.
However, winning this game would mean a lot to both teams. For the Red Raiders, it was a slim chance of finishing first out of 64 teams. For the Longhorns, the win further strengthens their berth in the postseason and puts them in position to qualify for a lucrative regional tournament in the NCAA Tournament.
Follow along for live in-game updates as the Longhorns take on the Red Raiders on Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.
before the match
The Longhorns’ starting lineup is as follows.
