The NCAA Tournament committee selects team based on a lot of factors. Even though Nevada played lesser competition in the Mountain West, they were still seeded above Texas due to their overall résumé. The Wolf Pack won 27 games and were consistent all season long.

The Texas Longhorns faced adversity, lost players to illnesses and suspensions, but still managed to win 19 games in a deep Big 12 conference. 

How much will injured freshman big man Mohamed Bamba play in this game?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #7 Nevada Wolf Pack or #10 Texas Longhorns?

The Nevada Wolf Pack are a veteran team, which is always dangerous in the NCAA Tournament. Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline are dynamic scorers and are also solid rebounders. Kendall Stephens is one of the best shooters in the entire tournament as he shot 44% from three and hit 266 of them this season. The issue with Nevada is defense as they are arguably one of the worst defensive teams in the field. If they are shooting poor, they are vulnerable for an upset.

The Texas Longhorns have been dealt a pretty crappy hand this season. They had a player diagnosed with leukemia and a player tied to an ongoing FBI investigation. Also, some recent bad luck struck big man Mohamed Bamba who is dealing with a toe injury that kept him out of some recent games. He returned in their tournament loss, but only played a handful of minutes. Head coach Shaka Smart has had a ton of success in the NCAA Tournament in the past. He knows what is needed to advance, so he should have his team ready for Nevada.

Texas needs Bamba more than ever in this game. He’s a force inside and his defense could be the key to this game. I realize many people are taking Nevada in this contest and is a trendy pick to move on beyond this game, but I just believe if Bamba can play 25+ minutes and Dylan Osetkowski can help Texas win the rebounding advantage, the Longhorns have a chance to upset the Wolf Pack. I’m taking Shaka Smart and his young Longhorns to upend the veteran Nevada squad.

Prediction: #10 Texas Longhorns

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.