FAYETTEVILLE — Another nonconference opponent has been added to Arkansas’ 2018-19 basketball schedule.
The Razorbacks will face Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, on Jan. 26, 2019, as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, the conferences announced Thursday.
It is the fifth consecutive season Arkansas will participate in the inter-conference challenge. The Razorbacks are 2-2 in those games the last four seasons, most recently beating Oklahoma State 66-65 in Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 27.
Here is a look at how Arkansas has fared in the challenge:
2014-15 — Lost at Iowa State, 95-77
2015-16 — Beat Texas Tech, 75-68 in OT
2016-17 — Lost at Oklahoma State, 99-71
2017-18 — Beat Oklahoma State, 66-65
Texas Tech is the fourth known nonconference opponent on Arkansas’ upcoming schedule, joining Texas in El Paso, Texas, on Nov. 9, Colorado State and Western Kentucky. Dates for the games against Western Kentucky and Colorado State have not yet been announced.
The Red Raiders are coming off a 27-10 campaign in which they made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech lost 71-59 to eventual national champion Villanova in the East Region championship game in Boston.
Like Arkansas, Texas Tech will have to rebuild its roster in 2018-19. The Red Raiders are losing five of their top six scorers and return only one player - sophomore forward Jarrett Culver (11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds) - who averaged more than 5 points per game.
Texas Tech is coached by Chris Beard, known well in Arkansas because of his one-year stint at Arkansas-Little Rock that culminated in a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
The all-time series is tied 39-39, but Arkansas has won six of the last seven meetings against Texas Tech, a former Southwest Conference foe. It will be the fourth time the teams have played since the Razorbacks left the SWC following the 1990-91 season.