Nevada to Face Iowa State in First Round of NCAA Tournament

The Nevada Wolf Pack has been the sexy pick in the notorious 5-seed vs. 12-seed matchup following Selection Sunday.

Iowa State will face 21st-ranked and eight-seeded Syracuse on Saturday afternoon at Gamble Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. Iowa State seemed destined to be left out of the tournament again after a slow start to the Big 12 Conference season.

Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 and now 68 teams, No. 1 seeds have never lost to No. 16 seeds in the first round, the record standing at 128-0.

According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Iowa State is favored in this game, as the Cyclones are getting odds of -6.5 points against Nevada.

“I was in a bad space when it comes to basketball after my mother passed because I didn’t want to play basketball anymore”, said Burton, who set up for Iowa State’s practice in the same locker he had at Marquette.

I’m not saying you should bet your child’s college fund on South Dakota State and Texas Southern winning the whole thing, but putting some cash on some of the teams in the top third or middle tier wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“I’m just happy that we’re still playing this time of year, because that’s the goal, to be playing in the postseason”, Hillsman told Syracuse.com.

They know this homecoming won’t be like any other. “We’ve got our hands full with Syracuse”. Not nationally, not even in the conference.

The Seahawks will have a tough matchup on their hands as they take on Virginia, but they proved they can hang with the big boys after they put a scare into Duke past year.

Oliver is an Oakland, Calif., native, but said the chance for Young and him to represent the city that helped shape their basketball careers on a stage like the NCAA Tournament is one that will be openly embraced.

The Cyclones were well aware right away of the upset stigma this seeding has.

Seth Davis, shortly after the Wolf Pack was announced on CBS, noted he would not be surprised if the Wolf Pack made its way to the Sweet 16. Davis picked Iona to upset the Cyclones past year.

“What he’s been able to do and why we’re playing better in this last five- to six-week stretch is he’s taken a more assertive approach and aggressive approach on the offensive end”, Prohm said. Doubts us this year. “I’ve always liked it”, Morris said.

“Nevada is really good”, said Iowa State coach Steve Prohm. “We are just going to go in with a chip on our shoulder and do the best we can”.

Nevada is finesse. Nevada shoots the 3-ball. Burton is 40-of-105 (38.1 percent) from deep. Guard Donovan Jackson has hit 45.3 percent of his 3-pointers.

Sykes, meanwhile, averages 19 points and 8.1 rebounds. Defensively, the Cyclones allow 72.0 points to their opponents, while forcing them to commit 14.4 turnovers per game. In addition, the Wolf Pack excel with a small lineup, led by a senior guard Marcus Marshall. The three players who eclipsed this mark are All-American Monte Morris, sharpshooter Nazareth Mitrou-Long and explosive shooting guard Deonte Burton. But he is sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules, as well as a medical condition and will not be with the Wolfpack in Milwaukee. “I have family and friends who will make the trip for the game”.

“That’d be awesome, a great environment if we can get two wins in Milwaukee and go to Kansas”, Thomas said. We know that. We are going to have to play near-perfect basketball to keep the game close.

That mentality may lead to the best Morris we’ve seen so far.

“Cyclone Nation will travel well”, he said. The victor will likely play No. 1 overall seed and four-time defending national champion CT. The Jayhawks would then get the victor of Miami-Michigan State before a possible rematch.

Frank Mason III, Kansas: The 5-foot-11 senior guard was the Associated Press Big 12 Player of the Year after becoming just the 10th player in Jayhawks history to average 20 points per game in a season.