AUSTIN, Texas — Texas and Oklahoma anticipated a respite from challenging competition when they left the Big 12, yet they have found themselves in a fierce battle in their new league. The shift to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has not been as smooth as they hoped, as this season has positioned the conference as the toughest in the nation, featuring five teams in the top 10 and nine total in the Associated Press Top 25.
Both the Longhorns, currently standing at 11-5, and the Sooners, who hold a record of 13-3, are struggling in their new environment, with each team starting their SEC campaigns with an 0-3 record. Adding to the tension, the Sooners recently fell out of the rankings, leaving them among a group of five teams still seeking their first conference victory.
“This is an incredibly physically demanding league,” stated Texas head coach Rodney Terry. His team has faced a gauntlet of challenges in their initial SEC matchups, competing against formidable opponents such as No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 1 Auburn, and No. 5 Tennessee.
“Each game has been a tough contest. The three teams we’ve faced bring intense physicality to the court… You need to be ready to meet that challenge,” Terry remarked, highlighting the grueling nature of the competition.
As Texas prepares for the rivalry clash against the Sooners in Norman, the Longhorns find their prospects for an NCAA Tournament appearance in jeopardy should they face another defeat. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has not participated in the tournament for the past three years, and an 0-4 SEC start could further jeopardize their chances.
At the beginning of the season, Oklahoma seemed to be in good shape, amassing a 13-0 record and becoming one of the last undefeated teams, which included impressive victories over No. 20 Michigan and emerging programs like Arizona and Louisville. In contrast, Texas has struggled to secure wins of similar significance.
However, the vigor that once characterized coach Porter Moser’s team has waned as the season progressed. The Sooners kicked off league play with a disappointing 28-point loss at No. 4 Alabama and followed with a stunning collapse at home against Texas A&M, in which they squandered an 18-point lead despite the absence of the Aggies’ leading scorer due to injury.
A notable pattern in both teams’ performances in SEC play is the dominance their opponents have displayed in rebounding, often giving Texas and Oklahoma considerable disadvantages in this stat. “You can’t simply go 13 minutes and secure only one rebound,” Moser said, acknowledging the critical need for improvement after absorbing a 51-26 rebounding deficit against Alabama. “We’ve called out players and challenged them.”
Unfortunately for the Sooners, there has yet to be significant improvement, as they continued to struggle in rebounding in subsequent matchups.
For Texas, standout performances have occasionally shone through, though they haven’t translated into success against tougher rivals. Senior transfer Arthur Kaluma delivered a standout game with 34 points against Auburn, while freshman Tre Johnson scored 24 points within the first 30 minutes against Tennessee but managed only two more points afterward.
Johnson, recognized as one of the top freshmen nationally, averages 18.9 points per game. However, Terry emphasized the importance of not placing the overwhelming burden of scoring solely on the younger players. “Tre is a key player in every match. Every game, he has a target on his back,” Terry said. “As a young player, he shouldn’t feel the pressure to carry the entire scoring load for us.”
