Ole Miss Men’s Basketball Headed to Austin Looking to End Roadtrip with a Win

OXFORD, Miss. — The Rebels are headed to Austin to face the Longhorns today, the finale of a four-game road trip. Through the first three games, Ole Miss has been unable to get into the win column. The Rebels will now hope to leave Austin and head back to Oxford with a win in what’s arguably the easiest game of the trip. The game will tip off at 1:00 p.m. CT.

It’s Gameday!
⏰ 1:00 PM
📍Moody Center
🆚 Texas
📺 ESPN 2#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/qIkbSEywOs

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 7, 2026

ON THE AIR

Television: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Tom Hart
Analyst: Dane Bradshaw

OLE MISS RADIO

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway

Where they stand

Ole Miss will enter the matchup with the Longhorns having played three straight games on the road, making this the first time since the 1978-79 season that the Rebels will play four straight games as the away team. The road trip has not gone the greatest for the Rebels so far, as fans last witnessed an 18-point loss to Tennessee, a game in which Ole Miss fought hard and kept it close until late in the second half, also when head coach Chris Beard got ejected.

The Rebels now stand at 11-11 on the season and 3-6 in conference play, placing them at No. 12. Ole Miss will also be looking to win its first game in three weeks.

The Longhorns are currently 14-9 overall and 5-5 in conference play in their first year of the Sean Miller era, who left Xavier for Austin after playing Texas in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament last season. The Longhorns’ play has been inconsistent, as they’ve secured some nice ranked wins but have also dropped some very winnable games.

Ranked No. 33 with the No. 9 efficiency, according to KenPom, Texas will look to earn its fifteenth win of the season and take a 10-7 all-time lead over Ole Miss.

Scouting the Longhorns

Texas enters with a decent 14-9 record on the season, which is also the worst record of the three other teams the Rebels have faced during their road trip. With a 5-5 record in the SEC, Texas currently sits at No. 10 in the conference. Texas has acquired ranked wins over North Carolina State, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Georgia. The Longhorns most recently beat the Gamecocks in Austin and are on a two-game winning streak.

There’s a reason the Longhorns have the No. 9-rated offensive efficiency: they have four players averaging double-digit points. However, Texas is led by guard Dailyn Swain, whom Miller brought over from Xavier. Swain averages 17.7 points per game while shooting a 57.7% field goal rate. He also leads the team in rebounds with 7.3 per game. Swain is followed closely by center Matas Vokietaitis, who averages 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both second on the team. Guard Jordan Pope leads the team from behind the arc, though, having made 51 three-pointers on the season with a 34.5% success rate.

Texas’ Notable NCAA Team Statistical Rankings:

– Free throw attempts per game, 27.0, 5th
– Free throws made per game, 20.0, 6th
– Rebound margin, +9.2, 13th
– Field goal percentage, 49.2, 26th
– Fastbreak points per game, 15.3, 29th
– Points per game, 85.5, 28th

Keys to the game

1. Create turnovers and control the game: Texas isn’t necessarily great at creating turnovers, but they do a very good job at limiting them. With Texas being one of the best teams in the SEC at protecting the ball, the Rebels will need to control the game and tempo. If Ole Miss can control the ball and avoid giving up free points, then it will keep the game winnable. It will need to disrupt the help defense that Texas plays and set the pace of the game early by valuing possessions and protecting the ball.

2. Get hot and stay hot: The Rebels will be walking into yet another hostile environment, and they will need to embrace the adversity, set the tone early, get the offense hot and maintain the energy. Guys with experience like AJ Storr and Malik Dia will both need to set up and create plays. If the offense gets too complacent in taking what the Texas defense gives it, then there may be trouble; the Rebels need to create plays, sustain the energy and go on scoring runs to take an advantage.

3. Play tough, play with purpose: Texas is a very tough and physical team; the Rebels will need to prepare for the physicality and be ready to fight through contact for the fouls. Ole Miss will also need to play with purpose, and it can do that by executing the small details, especially by winning at the free-throw line. While avoiding giving up free points by fouls and turnovers, the Rebels will need to take advantage of what’s given to them by not making small mistakes.

Why this game matters

The Rebels need something positive to bring back to Oxford, and that starts in Austin. Every win is important, but it always feels like Ole Miss is one win away from potentially salvaging the season by just earning a win, getting the momentum going and finishing on a hot streak. Every game has been within reach for the Rebels, but each time, they’ve just been unable to finish. However, the three previous games have prepared Ole Miss perfectly for its matchup with Texas.

The Rebels have had the opportunity to face a variety of talented teams in hostile environments over the last three games, which has prepared them perfectly for a matchup with Texas. Although the Longhorns do have one of the better offenses that Ole Miss will have faced, they’re arguably weaker and have the worst record of the three teams the Rebels previously faced. A win in Austin would go a long way in generating momentum as the Rebels head back to Oxford to face Alabama and Mississippi State.

Game info:

• Matchup: Ole Miss at Texas
• Time: 1 p.m. CT
• Location: Moody Center, Austin, TX.
• TV: ESPN2