Texas and Oklahoma will look to improve on their chances for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament when they play their respective regular-season finales on Saturday in Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns (18-12, 9-8 Southeastern Conference) are the more likely team to earn the berth in the NCAA Tournament, with projections putting Texas as one of 11 SEC teams expected to make the 68-team field.
Oklahoma (16-14, 6-11) put itself back into the conversation with three straight wins and five victories in its past seven games.
Both teams likely will play in the first round of the SEC tournament. Texas could jump to the eighth spot and earn a bye to the second round if it beats Oklahoma and receives significant help in other conference games.
“There’s so much that’s going to happen in the next 24 hours, next 48 hours, and then once we know that tournament, then I think you take it for what it is,” Texas coach Sean Miller said Friday. “So much of it is for us to just be at our best against Oklahoma and finish where we’re at.
“Anytime you start to speculate and start to play out scenarios while you’re in the present, you just have a way of being able to take your eyes off what’s important.”
The Longhorns have to get back on track after dropping three of their past four games, most recently a 105-85 setback at No. 20 Arkansas on Wednesday.
Matas Vokietaitis scored 21 points, Tramon Mark added 18 and Dailyn Swain had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Texas in a game in which it allowed a season high in points, field goals made (35 of 60) and 3-point field goal percentage (57.9% as Arkansas hit 11 of 19 from beyond the arc).
The Sooners travel to Austin after an 80-64 home win over Missouri on Tuesday.
Jadon Jones had a season-high 13 points for Oklahoma, which retained the 12th seed in the conference standings.
Sooners coach Parker Moser lauded his team for continuing to fight and improve as the season has progressed.
“It’s a struggle at this level, not playing well, losing tough games.” Moser said about his team’s slow start. “But you have a choice. You either give in to it, be a victim of it, or you stay together with your faith, with each guy, with what you can do to get better. These guys have done that. … We’ve got to keep believing in a path.”
