Texas Basketball: Longhorns battle Nevada in first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament
By John Ryan
Texas faces a tough Nevada team in the round-of-64, hoping to pull off the round-1 upset. Mohammed Bamba against the Martin twins should make this a must watch matchup.
Matchup: (7) Nevada
When: March 16th, 4:30 PM
Where: Nashville, TN
How to Watch: TBS
The 10-seeded Texas Longhorns will face off against a talented, but struggling Nevada team in the round-of-64. Nevada comes into the tournament losing 2 of their last 3 games, including a blowout loss against San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament.
Texas has played well as of late and looks to carry that momentum into this first round matchup. Their star big man, Mo Bamba, has started to dominate on both ends and is a matchup nightmare for anyone. This holds true for Nevada who lacks the size to compete with his historic length.
Nevada features the Martin twins who are exceptional scorers. The Martin’s, Caleb and Cody, embody the versatility that makes Nevada tough to stop on offense. The Wolf Pack averaged 83.1 points per game this season, their highest total since 1992.
Keys to a Texas Victory
3-point shooting
Feed Bamba
Strong Perimeter Defense
Force Nevada to Challenge Bamba inside
Texas has missed their starting guard Andrew Jones all season, both emotionally and on the court. Jones was diagnosed with cancer in January and thankfully has vastly improved in the recent months.
Texas is talented and has played inspired basketball this season, but the absence of Jones has weakened their perimeter play. In order to escape round-1, Texas will have to hit the 3-ball with some consistency. Bamba and Dylan Osetkowski have a chance to dominate the paint but Nevada will be able to double team down low if their shots are not falling.
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A matchup Texas can bank on is coaching. Shaka Smart is one of the best coaches in college basketball and has produced tournament results his entire career. Nevada should be the favorites, but Texas has a legit chance of making it past the first weekend.