On the night of Feb. 2, No. 6 ranked Texas basketball and head coach Shaka Smart will take part in what might be the most important game of their season to date. Texas is set to host the No. 2 ranked Baylor Bears and head coach Scott Drew at home at the Frank Erwin Center on Feb. 2, which can largely determine who sits at the top of the Big 12 standings by the end of the regular season. Texas comes into this game also looking to not extend their losing streak to two games.
Coming into this game, Smart and the Longhorns have lost two of their last three outings. Their only win in the last three games came over the lowly Kansas State Wildcats a few weeks back. Their last game resulted in a tough one point loss, when they were short handed, at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. That gives the Longhorns a record of 11-3 (5-2 Big 12) coming into this huge showdown against the ultra talented Bears.
Texas could really use a change in fortune as their rotation gets back to full strength in the wake of a number of novel coronavirus related absences. Even their head coach Smart was off the sidelines in the Longhorns last game, in the loss to Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Baylor comes into this game with an undefeated record of 16-0 (8-0 Big 12). Their last game resulted in a win over the Auburn Tigers last weekend in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Here’s a look into the three reasons why the No. 6 ranked Longhorns can upset the No. 2 ranked and undefeated Bears on the night of Feb. 2.