It's always interesting when Arkansas and Texas get together, even for an exhibition.
The No. 10 Razorbacks will travel to Austin to face the No. 12 Longhorns in a charity exhibition Saturday. Though it's just a preseason game, there's still a little bit more to this one.
"Texas, it is an early game, but it means a lot to us, so we’re just going to tip the ball up and see what we can do," Arkansas forward Kamani Johnson said. "But we’re definitely going down there to win. This counts for us, for sure."
Johnson said he rushed the field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium with junior guard Davonte Davis after the Razorback football team took down Texas 40-21 last season.
The experience of the rivalry on the gridiron showed just how much the Arkansas-Texas game matters, no matter what sport it is.
"Man, it’s an exhibition game for sure, but I would be lying to you if I said we didn’t know what’s at stake and the opportunity we have," Johnson said. "Our team is looking at this as a rivalry game, even though it’s an exhibition game. That’s kind of how we’re preparing for it and how we’re going to play,"
Freshman Jordan Walsh — a native of Desoto, Texas — said the Longhorns recruited him hard when he was in high school.
Saturday will feature the first ever game played at Texas' new Moody Center. Walsh said that during the recruiting process, the Longhorns pitched to him that he could be the first player to ever score there.
"I went on a visit to Texas, too, and one of there pitches were 'We're building a new arena and you could potentially be the first person to ever score in this arena,'" Walsh said. "I remembered that and now that we're getting to play them for the first game there, I still have that chance."
While Saturday is just an exhibition, it features a game against a top-15 team in a road environment.
Head coach Eric Musselman said the experience will benefit the team more than anything.
"It will allow us to get a road trip," Musselman said. "And all this is in preparation for the regular season. So yes, this is an exhibition game, but also everybody’s got pride whenever you step out to compete."
Musselman gave a nod to Texas head coach Chris Beard, who he mentioned he thinks is one of the best coaches in all of America.
"I think Coach Beard says it best, both teams are going to get better after this game," Musselman said. "That’s one thing. There is one guarantee. One team’s going to win and one team’s not going to win. But the one guarantee is that both teams will somehow figure out a way to get better after this 40 minutes of basketball."
The Hogs and Longhorns will tip off a 3 p.m. CT inside the Moody Center. The game was previously scheduled to be televised on the Longhorn Network, but that is no longer happening for reasons unknown.
