If the Texas Longhorns can win both of their games this week, starting with tonight’s Big 12 matchup against a solid Oklahoma State team, then the Longhorns might be the No. 1 team in the nation when the next polls are released on Monday. UT opened as a 14.5-point favorite on Bodog’s NCAA basketball odds.
Oklahoma State (16-8, 4-6 Big 12) is definitely squarely on the NCAA bubble, so a win tonight would be huge to the Cowboys’ at-large hopes. OSU had won two in a row (following a three-game skid) before falling at Nebraska 65-54 on Saturday. Marshall Moses had 18 points and Keiton Page 14 for Oklahoma State. Tonight’s game is the first of three straight against ranked foes for the Cowboys. OSU hasn’t been a good road team. Jéan-Paul Olukemi leads the team in scoring in Big 12 games at 14.5 ppg. But he averages 20.4 at home and 8.6 on the road, where the Pokes are 0-5 in conference play. Of OSU’s five road defeats, four have come by double digits, including 23- and 19-point beatings at Texas A&M and Baylor.
Texas (22-3, 10-0) is a 1.5-game lead over Kansas atop the Big 12. The Longhorns rose to No.2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll this week but stayed at No.3 in the AP Poll. But with top-ranked Kansas losing – a team that the Horns already beat – UT could at least rise to No. 1 in the coaches’ poll; the Horns are also behind Ohio State in the media poll. Texas has rarely been challenged in the Big 12. Nine of the Horns’ 10 conference wins have come by double digits. The only one that didn’t was Saturday’s 69-60 win over Baylor. Texas hasn’t even trailed since a Jan. 26 game at Oklahoma State, a 61-46 Longhorns victory. UT leading scorer and rebounder Jordan Hamilton had 12 points and 11 rebounds in that one.
Key trends: The Longhorns have won nine of the past 10 meetings. OSU is 1-5 ATS in its past six games. The favorite is 5-0-1 ATS in the past six in this series.