The Texas basketball (15-8, 4-6 SEC) program entered this week with four wins in its past six SEC games but suffered a disheartening 78-70 loss to Arkansas at home Wednesday.
While the Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament hopes still seem strong, a road win at Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-5) on Saturday (noon, SEC Network) will bolster their postseason case. A victory would give Texas a coveted fourth Quad 1 win and would boost its current NET ranking of No. 29 and KenPom ranking of No. 31.
Freshman Tre Johnson, the SEC’s leading scorer at 19.2 points a game, continues to pace Texas and scored 25 points against Arkansas. However, he shot just 6-of-22 from the floor and didn’t get much help from backcourt mates Jordan Pope (eight points, 3-of-6 shooting) and Tramon Mark (0 points, 0-2).
Johnson and the Longhorns face a stern test at Vanderbilt, which plays well on its home court. Over its past seven games, the Commodores won all three of the games in Nashville and lost all four of its road contests. Those home wins include triumphs over No. 14 Kentucky, No. 4 Tennessee and South Carolina.
Follow below for Texas vs. Vanderbilt, which tips at noon in Nashville.
(This section will be updated when the game begins)
WATCH TEXAS BASKETBALL ALL SEASON LONG
Day: Saturday
Start time: noon
Location: Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville
TV channel: SEC Network
Livestream: Fubo (free trial), ESPN+, SEC+
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