Texas Basketball: 3 bold predictions in Big 12 play for Longhorns

A top 15 ranked Texas basketball team now has a highly anticipated de facto Big 12 opener set for Dec. 20, at home against Oklahoma State.

Big 12 play was supposed to begin for head coach Shaka Smart and No. 13 ranked Texas basketball on Dec. 13 on the road in Waco, matching up against the No. 2 ranked Baylor Bears and head coach Scott Drew. But due to novel coronavirus related issues on the Baylor side, the Big 12 opener had to be pushed back (to a date still yet to be determined).

Texas will now have one more non-conference game before their Big 12 slate officially begins after the delay for the Baylor game. Smart and the Longhorns face the Sam Houston State Bearkats at home at the Frank Erwin Center on Dec. 16. That will be the last game before the Longhorns get to tip off their de facto Big 12 opener now on Dec. 20 at home at the Erwin Center against head coach Mike Boynton and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

This also means that the last two Big 12 games for the Longhorns, come Dec. 20, will have come at home at the Erwin Center against Oklahoma State. They haven’t played in a single Big 12 game since the March 7 regular season finale loss to Oklahoma State.

Moreover, the Longhorns currently carry a record of 5-1 (0-0 Big 12), following a nice stretch of games to open the season. Their last game resulted in a comfortable 74-53 win at home back on Dec. 9 over the Texas State Bobcats. Texas also has wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels, Indiana Hoosiers, and Davidson Wildcats, so far this season.

With Big 12 play still less than 10 days away for the Longhorns, here’s a look into three bold predictions for this team during the conference slate.