Texas set to face LSU in major conference matchup Saturday

SEC clash takes place at neutral site in Houston

Texas (7-2) fell from No. 12 to No. 19 in this week’s Associated Press poll following a loss to Marquette last week, but the Longhorns get another shot at a major conference opponent Saturday in Houston. The Longhorns will face LSU (6-4) in a neutral-site game at the Toyota Center (11 a.m., ESPN2, 1300).

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Dillon Mitchell is seeing double

Texas forward Dillon Mitchell, who recorded just one double-double in 38 contests last year as a freshman, has tallied three double-doubles in his first nine games this season. He leads the team in rebounding (9.3 ppg) and blocks (15) and has reached double-digits in rebounds in five of the first nine contests.

S-E-C! S-E-C!

Pending any matchups with the SEC in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday’s game will mark the final time Texas plays an SEC opponent in nonconference action, since the Longhorns will join the conference on July 1. Texas has a record of 56-62 against SEC opponents in nonconference or tournament play, including an 11-20 record against LSU. No SEC team has faced Texas more in nonconference games than LSU.

A thrill to again see Will?

LSU leans heavily on former Texas player Will Baker, a 7-foot forward who paces the Tigers with 14.1 points a game. Baker, the American-Statesman’s high school player of the year in 2019, signed with Texas out of Westlake but played sparingly before transferring to Nevada in the middle of the 2020-21 season. He spent two years at Nevada, including the 2022-23 season, when he averaged 13.1 points a game. Baker has nice touch from 3-point range, but he has only attempted 15 treys this season shooting 53.6% from the field.

Texas vs. LSU prediction

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Texas. The Tigers have flopped in their last two games against teams from major conferences, a 23-point loss to Syracuse and a 15-point loss to Kansas State. LSU holds opponents to 39.1% shooting but also averages 14.4 turnovers a game, which should feed Texas’ transition game.

MORRY GASH/AP Texas forward Dillon Mitchell dunks during the second half of the Longhorns’ loss to Marquette on Dec. 6 in Milwaukee. Mitchell, who’s putting up career numbers in his sophomore season, leads Texas into a contest with LSU on Saturday in Houston.