Wolfpack Will Be Howling When They Punch Ticket To Big Dance

Texas vs. North Carolina State, 9:15 ET

This is not a drill, folks, the time has finally arrived! We have reached the NCAA Tournament. March Madness. The Big Dance. Brackets are being filled, only to be busted, and I'm sure there will be some Cinderella story that captivates our hearts. There are players who will make a name for themselves, and there are teams that will ultimately let us down. God Bless College Basketball, and God Bless all of us for sweating through it together. We have the battle of the First Four tonight as Texas takes on North Carolina State.

Texas comes into the game with an 18-14 record, and to be honest, I have no qualms whatsoever about this team making it into one of these games. I always find it a bit odd how they build brackets. For example, does Texas deserve a chance to get in this tournament more than a team like Sienna? Probably. I'm also okay expanding the tournament to another round, because that just means more wildness and chaos. But, for now, both of these teams have to play for a chance at the larger field of 64. Texas struggled in the SEC this season. They were just 9-9 for the year, and mixed losses at home with road ones. They have struggled significantly in their past six games, losing five of them. Their losses were to quality teams, for the most part. They dropped a game at Georgia, then lost at home to Florida. Beat Texas A&M on the road before losing to Arkansas, and then losing at home to Oklahoma and to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. Three of those losses probably are ones that they could've avoided - Georgia, Oklahoma, and even Ole Miss. The Longhorns are certainly capable of winning games, but it feels like they only get one guy going in each game rather than work together. The team only averages 12.3 assists per game, while scoring 83.8 points per game. According to Teamrankings.com, that puts them at 290th in the NCAA for assists per game.

Mar 11, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA;  Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) drives to the basket past Mississippi Rebels forward Malik Dia (0) during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

North Carolina State also deserves a fair shot at playing in the tourney. They went 20-13 for the season, and before you think the ACC was great, and the Wolfpack played a ridiculously tough schedule, that isn't the case. The ACC wasn't all that impressive this season, aside from maybe Duke and Virginia. A bad end to the year is what put North Carolina State in this position. They were 18-6 on February 7th, but they went 2-7 the remainder of the way, dropping games to Louisville, Miami, Virginia, Notre Dame, Duke, and Stanford. They did win one of their ACC Tournament games as they beat Pittsburgh. They won that one 98-88. However, they were taken down by Virginia in the next game. North Carolina State is built fairly similarly to Texas, but they do have a bit deeper of a team in my opinion. I like their guard play, and they average almost 16 assists per game. They also are pretty good shooters. If I am BYU, I'd probably rather see Texas.

I think whoever wins this game probably loses to BYU. I do expect AJ Dybantsa to at least get one win in the tournament, but either way, I think these teams have to get there first. North Carolina State has more guys that can do damage, and they play better together. This is a true neutral site for both teams. They did play earlier in the season, also in a neutral site. Texas won that game 102-97. The big difference is Texas hit eight threes in the first half, compared to just three for North Carolina State. I would not expect the teams to shoot as well or efficiently as the first game. I think North Carolina State takes this one. 

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