No. 8 Texas vs. Cal Baptist Preview

The Texas Longhorns are back in action on Wednesday to close out the Abe Lemons Classic, hosting the undefeated Cal Baptist Lancers (5-0). Texas (3-1) won the first two games in the week-long, four-team tournament, knocking off Northern Colorado and San Jose State.

Head coach Chris Beard and the Longhorns defeated San Jose State by 34 points last Saturday, with senior forward Timmy Allen and junior forward Tre Mitchell leading the way. Allen, a transfer from Utah, finished with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Mitchell, a transfer from UMass, added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and eight rebounds.

The Lancers have also won their first two games in the tournament, defeating San Jose State by one point and Northern Colorado by four points.

“They’re really good,” Beard said on Tuesday. “They have an offensive identity, shooting the three-point shot and there will always be four guys on the floor that shoot from three, sometimes five.”

The Lancers are shooting above 50 percent from the floor this season and just under 40 percent from beyond the arc. Three players are shooting over 40 percent from three-point land, including guard Reed Nottage, who leads the team with 16 points per game and is shooting a ridiculous 52/53/90 (FG%/3PT%/FT%) through five games.

Beard called them a “quality opponent,” possibly speaking to his team to avoid a letdown game but the Lancers record may not accurately reflect who they are.

Sure, Cal Bapist is 5-0, but per KenPom they’ve played the easiest schedule so far — 358 out of 358.

How to Watch:

TV: Longhorn Network

Time: 8:30 p.m. Central

Radio: Texassports.com affiliates

Odds: The Longhorns are 22.5-point favorites over the Lancers, according to DraftKings.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.