The Texas basketball team notched its first SEC win by beating Oklahoma 77-73 Wednesday, but its grueling conference schedule doesn’t get any easier this weekend.
The Longhorns (12-5, 1-3) will visit No. 4 Florida (3 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2). The Gators (15-2, 2-2) caught the attention of the nation with a 30-point win over Tennessee last weekend but fell to surging Missouri 83-82 Tuesday.
Here’s what to know about Saturday’s SEC game:
More: Texas basketball: Does former Longhorn coach Rick Barnes see any Kevin Durant in Tre Johnson?
Texas vs Florida time
Day: Saturday
Start time: 3 p.m.
Location: Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Florida
How to watch Texas vs Florida
TV channel: ESPN2
Livestream: Fubo (free trial), ESPN+, SEC+
Jordan Pope: On point past seven games
A 27-point explosion against Oklahoma helped Jordan Pope up his average over the past seven games to a team-high 20.7 points. The 6-foot-2 transfer from Oregon State has shot 53.8% from the floor in that span, including 46.2% from 3-point range and 88.5% from the free-throw line. His team-high 27 points (9 of 17 field goals, 6 of 6 free throws) and four steals were gleaned in 36 minutes at Oklahoma. The points have come with an emphasis on scoring rather than setting up other players; over the first 11 games of the season, Pope averaged 2.7 assists, but he has just four assists over the past six games.
Texas schedule will lighten up
Florida is the third top-five opponent Texas will face in a four-game stretch and its fourth top-25 team in five games to open SEC play. But the schedule does lighten up a bit after Saturday; the Longhorns will play only two ranked teams in a six-game stretch beginning with a home game Tuesday against Missouri.
Florida basketball: Chomping on the boards
The Gators aren’t exactly an ideal matchup for Texas, which has lost the rebounding battle in every one of its SEC games. Alex Condon, a mobile 6-11, 230-pound Australian who averages 11 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks, could give the Longhorns’ shallow frontcourt fits. And Walter Clayton Jr., a 6-3 guard, again proved his status as one of the SEC’s top scorers with 28 points in the loss to Missouri. But there is some good news: the Gators rank 11th in the SEC in turnover margin, and Texas has the third fewest turnovers in the SEC. The Longhorns could steal some possessions.
Texas vs. Florida prediction
Florida. The Longhorns seem to have found an identity over their first four SEC games, with Pope stepping up alongside Tre Johnson as an elite scoring option. But a thin Texas frontcourt will have its issues against a Florida squad that likes to attack the glass.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas basketball vs Florida: TV channel, time, game info
