Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Examining title contenders, Texas Tech’s return & more takeaways

By Brian Rauf

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders goes in to dunk the basketball during the first half of the game Kansas Jayhawks on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders goes in to dunk the basketball during the first half of the game Kansas Jayhawks on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 29: Caleb Martin #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack is congratulated by teammates as the clock expires in their game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on January 29, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wolf Pack defeated the Rebels 87-70. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 29: Caleb Martin #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack is congratulated by teammates as the clock expires in their game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on January 29, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wolf Pack defeated the Rebels 87-70. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

5. Don’t expect another run from Nevada

One of those teams in Nevada, and I would not be surprised to see the Wolf Pack suffer an early loss. Their Sweet 16 run last year raised expectations for this group, yet I don’t think they’ll get back to the second weekend (depending on matchups, of course).

Nevada has a history of starting slow, and they’ve fallen behind early on several occasions. They have usually been able to make up the difference rather quickly due to the talent advantage they have over other teams in the Mountain West, but they won’t be able to do that consistently against good teams. It has also resulted in more than a few close games that, based on Nevada’s talent, should not be close.

One of the reasons for this is their struggles shooting from the perimeter. Jazz Johnson is the only player on the roster who consistently makes shots from long-range (44.3 percent) and big man Jordan Caroline is the only other playing shooting over 34.1 percent. Nevada only shoots 34.5 percent from deep as a team, which puts them outside the top 150 nationally.

They’re also not going to get a great seed. Due to a resume that’s lacking quality wins, the Wolf Pack are projected to be a No. 6 seed in our latest bracketology. A good UCF team is who they would play in the first round, followed by a matchup against a really good Marquette team.

Nevada’s current core has accomplished a number of great things for the program, but I just don’t see the Final Four run that many, including myself, were projecting in the preseason.

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