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The 2nd-ranked Baylor Bears will travel to enemy territory on Tuesday to take on the 5th-ranked Texas Longhorns for a highly-anticipated Big 12 battle. This heavyweight matchup between two of college basketball's best teams could be what eventually decides the Big 12 championship.
The Longhorns fell victim to an upset in their last matchup, losing a 1-point heartbreaker to the Oklahoma Sooners. The Baylor Bears remain undefeated with their latest victory over Auburn, improving their win streak to a whopping16 games.
Match Details
Fixture: Baylor Bears vs. Texas Longhorns - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
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Baylor Bears Preview
The Baylor Bears had another fantastic performance as they stretched their perfect start to the season with a 16th consecutive win. Travelling to Longhorn country next week will no doubt provide the Bears with their toughest test of this campaign.
The Bears effectively shut down a very talented Auburn offense on Saturday, proving once again they have one of the top defenses in the NCAA. With the leadership of junior guard Jared Butler, the Baylor Bears have seemed like an unstoppable force thus far.
Key Player - Jared Butler
After a strong performance against the Auburn Tigers, star guard Jared Butler will be the key factor for the Baylor Bears as they take on the Texas Longhorns. Butler has emerged as the captain of this Baylor offense, consistently delivering with high production output on both ends of the floor.
Jared Butler has played in each of Baylor's 16 games this season, averaging a team-leading 16.8 points points per game on an incredible 50% shooting. The Baylor Bears will be looking for continued consistency out of Butler as they take on the Texas Longhorns.
Baylor Bears Predicted Lineup
F Mark Vital, F Flo Thamba, G MaCio Teague, G Davion Mitchell, G Jared Butler
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Texas Longhorns Preview
The Texas Longhorns have seen three of their last four games cancelled or postponed due to COVID precautions, with an upset loss the Oklahoma Sooners mixed in between. The Longhorns were one of the hottest teams in college basketball, but have cooled down with losses in two of their last three.
Texas Longhorns will likely lose their top 5 ranking due to their recent troubles, but could make a huge splash with an upset against the No. 2 ranked Baylor Bears. The Longhorns' offense will need to find a way through the talented Baylor defense if they are going to keep this game close on Tuesday.
Key Player - Andrew Jones
Texas Longhorns' guard Andrew Jones will be under the spotlight as he faces off against Jared Butler of the Baylor Bears. Jones is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game on 40% shooting, but will need a breakout performance to help his team keep pace with the Bears' talented shooters.
The story of Andrew Jones is one of the most heartwarming things in all of sports. Jones was diagnosed with leukemia during his freshman year at Texas, but fought hard and returned to the court in a massive act of courage. Exactly three years after his diagnosis, Jones hit a game-winning three pointer with his team down by one in the final seconds. The Longhorns will hope for more magic from Andrew Jones as they go for an upset over the beasts of Baylor.
Texas Longhorns' Predicted Lineup
F Royce Hamm Jr., F Kai Jones, F Greg Brown, G Andrew Jones, G Matt Coleman III
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Baylor vs. Texas Prediction
The Texas Longhorns present a legitimate threat to the Baylor Bears, giving some of the NCAA's top defenses trouble with their high-intensity offense.
If the Texas Longhorns can shoot efficiently as a team, they could find themselves on top of this matchup at the final buzzer. With that said, the Baylor Bears are undefeated for a reason. They have outmatched every challenger, outlasted every offense, and should continue their dominance on Tuesday. We predict a strong offensive effort from Jared Butler on the way to a Baylor victory.
Where to watch Baylor vs. Texas
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
