Texas men’s basketball is halfway through its non-conference schedule, and the Longhorns will soon be tipping off their first dance in the Southeastern Conference.
Because the SEC couldn’t have eased the Horns into conference play, Texas is traveling to College Station to face No. 22 Texas A&M in the very first game. The Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown will take place on Jan. 4. For the unranked Texas team, its first five games will be against ranked opponents.
After the trip to College Station, Texas will return to Austin for two home games against the top two powers in the conference: No. 2 Auburn on Jan. 7 and No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 11.
Texas fans might remember this Tennessee team for knocking out the Longhorns in the 2024 March Madness tournament. Just as Texas lost some of its key players from that game, like former Longhorn’s forward Dylan Disu and guard Max Abmas and senior guard Tyrese Hunter, who transferred to Memphis after last season, Tennessee will be missing its top scorer from the matchup, now Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht, and forward Jonas Aidoo, now at Arkansas.
These two back-to-back home games are expected to pack the Moody Center, giving fans a first glimpse into SEC basketball with the best in the league.
Another ranked rivalry game will come right after, as Texas heads to Norman for the first Red River Rivalry in the new era. Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 21 in the poll.
In the conference’s format, the Longhorns will play a select number of teams twice, including rivals Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and will play the remaining teams once. Highlights on the single-game schedule include back-to-back home games against No. 4 Kentucky and No. 10 Alabama.
As the season starts with a big rivalry game, it will finish with another. Texas will host Oklahoma for the second clash of the season on March 8 to close up the conference schedule and hopefully cement a place in the March Madness bracket.
The Southeastern Conference has seven teams in the Top 25 but, until January, a lot can change and the table can be turned upside down.
Though most of its non-conference schedule includes non-Power 5 schools, the Longhorns have a challenging week ahead of them. Texas will face NC State in Raleigh for the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday, and will host back-to-back national champion UConn on Sunday, to kick off a series of five home games ahead of the January A&M game.
