FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson understands the Razorbacks' rivalry with Texas.
Anderson experienced it first-hand as an assistant to Coach Nolan Richardson, when the Razorbacks went 9-5 against the Longhorns from 1986 through 1991 before Arkansas left the Southwest Conference for the SEC.
UP NEXT
Arkansas men vs Texas
WHEN 1:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE Toyota Center, Houston
RECORDS Arkansas 8-1; Texas 5-4
SERIES Arkansas leads 86-67
TELEVISION ESPNU
RADIO Razorback Sports Network
Anderson also went 3-2 against Texas in Big 12 games when he was Missouri's coach from 2007-11 before the Tigers joined Arkansas in the SEC.
"Lot of history there," Anderson said. "I think it's big for our fans without a doubt.
"But to me it's the next game on our schedule and I want our guys to understand it is the next game on or schedule. To me it's another test to let us know where we are.
"It just happens to be the Texas Longhorns."
Arkansas (8-1) will renew its rivalry with Texas (5-4) when the teams play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston.
It will be the 154th time the teams have met, with Arkansas holding an 86-67 series lead.
The Arkansas-Texas game is part of a doubleheader with Texas A&M playing No. 19 Arizona in the opener at 11 a.m.
The last time Arkansas and Texas played in Houston was the 1979 SWC Tournament championship game when the Razorbacks won 39-38 at The Summit before an announced crowd of 15,449.
There was no shot clock in college basketball at the time and Arkansas Coach Eddie Sutton and Texas Coach Abe Lemons waged a defensive struggle in which the Razorbacks hit 16 of 35 shots and the Longhorns 16 of 36.
The Razorbacks, led by Sidney Moncrief's 13 points, won on the strength of making 7 of 10 free throws while the Longhorns made 6 of 8.
In the 25 years since Arkansas left the SWC, the Razorbacks and Longhorns have met just four times, most recently during the 2010-11 season when Texas won 79-46 in Austin.
That game six seasons ago is ancient history for today's players.
"Not aware of that one," Texas freshman guard Jacob Young said to reporters in Austin this week when asked what he knew about the Longhorns' rivalry with Arkansas. "That's new to me."
Anderson said while he has an appreciation of the rivalry, he won't talk to his players about it.
"I think these kids are too young," Anderson said. "I just talk about us getting better. That's all."
Anderson was on the Arkansas bench for some memorable moments against Texas, including two games during the 1989-90 season.
The Razorbacks won 103-96 in overtime at Austin on Feb. 4, 1990, when Richardson walked off the court and into the locker room in protest after official Mike Tanco called Lee Mayberry for intentionally fouling Lance Blanks with 14 seconds left and Texas leading 84-83.
After Banks hit both free throws, Texas inbounded the ball and Travis Mays was fouled, but he missed he front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity.
Mayberry -- now a member of Arkansas' staff -- hit a three-point basket with five seconds left to send the game into overtime tied 86-86. Richardson returned to the court after assistant Scott Edgar took over at the end of regulation and the Razorbacks dominated the overtime period.
Arkansas beat Texas a month later 88-85 at the NCAA Midwest Regional final in Dallas as the Razorbacks earned their first of three Final Four appearances under Richardson, including the 1994 national championship.
Shaka Smart, in his second season as Texas' coach after coming from Virginia Commonwealth, was asked by a reporter if his players are too young to remember Richardson -- a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee -- as Arkansas' coach?
"These guys weren't even alive, really," Smart said. "I don't think that's really in their minds, but I think the more important thing for us is to just have an awareness of the things that Arkansas does well."
Smart said he's heard about the Arkansas-Texas rivalry from others.
"It's something that I have a lot of respect for just looking back as past teams and looking back at the old conference," Smart said. "I'm a big fan of Nolan Richardson and what he did there. A ton of people were and are.
"When I was at VCU, I really looked up to him and how he did things from a full-court pressure standpoint. We tried to emulate some of that."
The Razorbacks were 389-169 in 17 seasons under Richardson, including 200-43 from 1989-1995.
"They really played with as much aggressiveness as any team ever," Smart said. "They had a swagger and confidence, almost an arrogance, about them in a good way.
"Personally, he's is someone that I respect just for the way he really stood up for his guys and was a good mentor."
Sports on 12/16/2016