Arkansas Razorbacks vs Texas Longhorns Picks and Predictions February 26th 2025

Cue the Spider-Man Meme: Arkansas, Texas Meet With Matching Records

Arkansas and Texas will try to create some separation in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament selection committee when they square off Wednesday in a pivotal Southeastern Conference matchup in Fayetteville, Ark.

Both teams enter the contest with identical 16-11 overall records and 5-9 marks in SEC play, making this game a defining moment as March Madness approaches.

The Razorbacks come in riding some momentum after a 92-85 victory over then-No. 15 Missouri on Saturday, marking one of their strongest performances of the season. Zvonimir Ivisic led the way with a game-high 20 points, while Johnell Davis (18 points, four steals), D.J. Wagner (17 points), and Karter Knox (14 points) contributed to a balanced offensive attack.

“Every game in this league is ridiculous — let’s see if we can build on this,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said. “Everybody watching this team knows we’re getting better. Now we just gotta finish.”

Arkansas will aim to complete a season sweep of Texas after winning the first meeting 78-70 on Feb. 5. However, they might have to do so without forward Adou Thiero, who aggravated a back injury late in the second half against Missouri. Thiero, who averages 15.6 points, six rebounds, two assists, and 1.7 steals per game, is a critical piece of Arkansas’ lineup.

“If Adou doesn’t play, well, then next man up,” Calipari said Monday. “Come on, somebody else. One guy’s misery is another man’s opportunity. That’s how you look at it.”

Texas Aims to End Its Slide

The Longhorns, on the other hand, have dropped four of their past five games, a slump that started with the home loss to Arkansas earlier this month. Their struggles continued on Saturday with an 84-69 defeat against SEC bottom-dweller South Carolina, a game in which Texas trailed by 18 at halftime and never got within single digits.

Freshman Tre Johnson was the lone bright spot for Texas, pouring in a game-high 29 points. The SEC’s leading scorer at 20.2 points per contest, Johnson has recorded at least 20 points in six of the past eight games, continuing to be the engine of Texas’ offense.

“You have got to play the game for 40 minutes — you’ve got to play it to the end,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said. “You just have to continue to try to work the game. You know, we had no magic 18-point play coming out (of the second half). We need to come out and get some stops and try to get the game back on our terms.”

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With both teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble, this SEC clash carries major implications. A win could help one team solidify its resume, while a loss would push the other further into desperation mode with only a handful of regular-season games remaining.

Will Arkansas complete the season sweep, or can Texas bounce back and stay in the fight for a postseason bid?