After 33 games and 29 wins, after the thrill of a conference championship and the disappointment of a conference tournament loss, the Nevada basketball team is now ready to take what has become its accustomed place in the NCAA Tournament.
Nevada (29-4) will make a third straight appearance in college athletics’ showcase event when it opens against Florida (19-15) on Thursday. The Wolf Pack will be hoping for some of the same tournament magic that propelled the team to two comeback wins and a Sweet 16 appearance last season.
Here’s a primer on how to track the Pack on Thursday, the key players to watch, and what’s at stake for the teams:
The essentials
No. 20 Nevada (29-4) will play Florida (19-15) on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is scheduled to tip off at 3:50 p.m. (Pacific) at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Wolf Pack is the No. 7 seed in the West Region; the Gators are seeded 10th.
NCAA Tournament:Here's what you need to know about Wolf Pack foe Florida
On the air
The game will be televised by TNT.
On the radio, Wolf Pack announcers John Ramey and Len Stevens will call the action on 94.5 FM and 630 AM.
NCAA Tournament:Wolf Pack vs. Florida Gators watch parties, specials on Thursday
The oddsmakers
As of Wednesday morning, Nevada enters the game as a 2-point favorite. The total is 133.
NCAA Tournament Vegas odds:What are the chances Nevada wins a title?
What’s at stake
For the winner, a trip to the second round on Saturday, where it would face the winner of Thursday’s Michigan-Montana game.
The loser’s season will be over.
Rankings:Wolf Pack enters NCAA Tournament ranked 20th in both major polls
Tell me about the Pack
Nevada, taking advantage of a lineup loaded with talented seniors, has tied a program record with 29 wins and won a share of the Mountain West regular-season title with a 15-3 league record.
The Wolf Pack has seven seniors on its 10-man roster, including all five regular starters. Nevada is led by brothers Caleb Martin (a team-best 19.2 points per game) and Cody Martin (team-high 5.1 assists per game), and Jordan Caroline (17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game), all of whom flirted with entering the NBA draft last year before ultimately deciding to return for their senior seasons.
Junior guard Jazz Johnson has also been a key component for the Pack, coming off the bench to average 11.2 points per game. He’s hit 45.2 percent of his 3-points shots.
Senior transfers Trey Porter (6-foot-11) and Tre’Shawn Thurman (6-foot-8) are Nevada’s big men.
National stage:How is Wolf Pack basketball viewed outside of Northern Nevada?
Tell me about the Gators
Florida was on the edge of making or missing the NCAA Tournament right until the end of the season. Two wins over LSU, a No. 3 seed in the tournament, probably did the trick in getting the Gators above the line.
On a team without tons of star power, KeVaughn Allen is the leading scorer (12.0 points per game) and Kevarrius Hayes pulls down the most rebounds (6.3 per game). The Gators prefer a slow pace — their tempo is rated as the eighth-slowest in the nation at one advanced metrics site — and to rely on their defense, which yields just 63.6 points per game. That’s a good thing, since Florida doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well, hitting just 42.7 percent of its shots from the field.
Florida’s 15 losses aren’t pretty to look at, and the Gators undoubtedly got the benefit of the doubt from playing in a very deep SEC. The conference sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Nevada vs. Florida:Who has the edge to open NCAA Tournament?
Tournament history
Nevada has played in eight NCAA Tournaments, compiling a 6-8 record. The Wolf Pack reached the Sweet 16 in 2004 and 2018.
Florida has made 21 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, all since 1987. The Gators are 46-19 in the event, including winning consecutive national titles in 2006 and 2007.
Last year:Musselman discusses the challenges of playing Loyola in the Sweet 16.
Wolf Pack basketball
- Who: No. 7 Nevada (29-4) vs. No. 10 Florida (19-15)
- What: NCAA Tournament — West Region first-round game
- When: Thursday, 3:50 p.m.
- Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa (14,039)
- TV: TNT
- Line: Nevada by 2; total of 133
- Series: First meeting
For more on the Wolf Pack, college sports, and Reno's baseball and soccer teams, follow the author at @RGJduke. Digital subscriptions to the Reno Gazette Journal begin at as little as $1 a month; click here for details.
