Texas @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 28, 2017 ) Texas 57, Georgia 59

Texas visits Georgia on Saturday for the Big 12/SEC Challenge as both teams look to reverse their recent struggles after showing glimpses of promise during the early portion of their conference schedules. The Longhorns, who began Big 12 action by upending Kansas State and West Virginia, have dropped four of five after falling to TCU on Wednesday, while the Bulldogs have not been able to build off an early victory over Vanderbilt - losing four in a row following Wednesday’s setback at LSU.

The Longhorns badly missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds of their 65-61 loss at TCU. “Defensively, we held them to 65 points, but there’s so many possessions where we can point to where we can do a much better job,” Texas coach Shaka Smart told reporters afterward. The Bulldogs trailed LSU by 12 points at halftime and pulled within six in the second half, but despite big efforts from Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton, they fell 92-82. “The overall assessment was too many turnovers, not enough defensive activity, and they turned those turnovers into baskets,” Georgia coach Tom Crean told reporters.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT TEXAS (11-8): The Longhorns are one of the better teams in the country in regard to taking care of the basketball, ranking second in the Big 12 and 31st nationally in turnovers per game (11.4). Kerwin Roach II leads Texas in scoring (14.2 points) and is second in both assists (3.5) and minutes played (30.8). Dylan Osetkowski has recorded 10 or more rebounds in back-to-back games and ranks second in the league with an average of 8.3.

ABOUT GEORGIA (9-9): Hammonds, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer at 13.2 points per game, finished with 18 against LSU. Claxton, who leads the SEC in rebounding (9.6) and blocked shots (three), registered 15 points and a team-high nine boards in Wednesday’s defeat. Georgia ranks 13th in the conference in scoring defense (73.4 points) and has allowed 90 points in three of its six games this month.

TIP-INS

1. The Longhorns are 1-3 in true road games, with the three defeats coming by a total of nine points.

2. The Bulldogs are sixth nationally and third in the SEC in blocked shots per game (5.8).

3. Georgia is 3-0 all time at home against Texas, including a 59-57 victory in the Big 12/SEC Challenge in January 2017.

PREDICTION: Texas 78, Georgia 65