No. 6 Texas travels to Norman to face Oklahoma in Big 12 opener

On Saturday, the No. 6 Texas Longhorns travel to Norman to face off against the Oklahoma Sooners in a Red River Rivalry game to start the conference slate for both programs as the Longhorns seek to defend a three-game winning streak on the road against the Sooners.

The matchup at the Lloyd Noble Center pits the 11-1 Longhorns against the 9-3 Sooners as Texas acting head coach Rodney Terry tries to remain undefeated since replacing Chris Beard following the head coach’s felony arrest.

Oklahoma enters the game with losses to Sam Houston, Villanova, and Arkansas and an eight-point win over an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team that Texas beat 88-43. Head coach Porter Moser’s team ranks No. 33 in KenPom.com’s adjusted efficiency metric while slotting No. 30 on offense and No. 48 on defense.

Guard Grant Sherfield leads the way for Oklahoma offensively after transferring from Wichita State to Nevada and then to Norman, averaging 18.0 points per game and shooting 56.5 percent from three-point range — limiting the 6’2 senior will be a key in Terry’s defensive game plan.

Behind Sherfield, the Groves brother, Tanner and Jacob, are the second-leading and third-leading scorers for the Sooners, respectively, with Tanner serving as more of an interior, rebounding presence while Jacob stretches the floor by shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Overall, Oklahoma is dangerous from three, hitting at 39.8 percent this season. For a Texas defense that has forced turnovers in recent games, but has often allowed opponents to shoot efficiently, the defensive intensity needs to increase by several notches with the start of conference play.

Longhorns senior guard Marcus Carr while try to remain hot after a record-tying performance on Tuesday — Carr tied the school recored for made threes with 10, tied his career high in scoring with 41 points, and became the first Texas players to surpass the 40-point threshold since Reggie Freeman in 1996. Carr also tied the school record for most points in a half with 33 and the record for most threes in a half with eight.

How to watch

Time: 1 p.m. Central

TV: ESPN+

Radio: The Longhorns IMG Radio Network

Livestream: WatchESPN