Fresh Texas travels to Missouri hoping to maintain winning streak
After a midweek break, the Texas Longhorns head to Columbia to face the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena Saturday at 7: 50 p. m. ET looking to stretch their run to four straight wins. Coach Sean Miller used the layoff to sharpen the roster physically and mentally while tending to a couple of injury and rotation concerns that could shape the final stretch of the regular season.
Midweek reprieve meant to restore energy
The bye gave the Longhorns time to recover from an intense February grind that featured multiple weeks with two conference games per week. Miller framed the break as a chance to be both "mentally and physically fresh" while still improving in practice. That reset was particularly valuable for junior wing Dailyn Swain, who has been shouldering a heavy playmaking burden, and graduate forward Lassina Traore, who missed last week’s win over Ole Miss after taking a knock to a surgically repaired knee.
Matas Vokietaitis—an ascending homegrown option
Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis delivered the individual highlight of the Ole Miss game, scoring a game-high 27 points on highly efficient shooting. The 9-of-11 outing showed his ability to finish through contact and to do so while managing foul trouble—two attributes Miller has emphasized as keys for the big man's next step. Vokietaitis logged a career-high 35 minutes in that contest, signaling the staff’s trust in his conditioning and growing readiness to carry heavier offensive and defensive minutes down the stretch.
Game-day disruption and early skirmishes in Columbia
The Missouri matchup opened with an unexpected scheduling hiccup when an in-arena announcement said the start would be delayed to 7: 50 p. m. ET because traffic on I-70 had held up essential game personnel. When action began, the contest produced immediate physicality: after a rebound battle and video review, Phillips Jr. was assessed a deadball technical foul for elbowing Vokietaitis. That sequence and a subsequent foul for extending an arm into Vokietaitis underscored the physical matchup the Tigers look to manufacture inside.
Stretch run schedule raises stakes for NCAA hopes
Texas faces a tricky path to the NCAA Tournament, with a mix of home comforts and tough road assignments ahead. After the trip to Columbia, the Longhorns are slated to host LSU before a sequence that features three of the next four games away from home. A marquee home date with Florida on the 25th adds extra weight to the next weeks, and the profile of the remaining schedule means each result will have amplified implications for Texas’ postseason projection. The three-game streak to this point lifted their tournament chances modestly, but sustained growth is required for a comfortable seeding.
Matchups and minutes to monitor
Key items to watch: whether Traore is available and effective after his recent precautionary absence; how Miller manages Swain’s playmaking minutes to prevent fatigue; and whether Vokietaitis can translate his Ole Miss efficiency into consistent interior presence without accruing fouls. Defensive discipline—particularly staying vertical and avoiding reach-in fouls—was highlighted by the staff as a development area for the young center. How well Texas limits opponent second-chance points and converts its own opportunities in the paint could decide the outcome in Columbia.
The Longhorns arrive with momentum and a clearer sense of what it will take to finish strong. If the team can preserve energy, keep its emerging pieces on the floor and handle the physicality Missouri brings, the trip to Mizzou Arena represents a chance to build meaningful late-season résumé value heading into March.
