Arizona vs Texas | Prediction & Pick

Two teams with identical records go head to head

When the Texas Longhorns show up, they make it difficult for their opponents. So which team will the Arizona Wildcats face in a third round West Region contest on Friday in Tulsa?

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#5 Arizona (28-7, 14-4 Pac-10) vs. #4 Texas (28-7, 13-3 Big 12)

Date/Time: Sunday, March 20, 6:10 PM EST
Venue: Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, OK.
Broadcast: TNT

Money Line: Arizona +210, Texas -250
Spread: Texas -6
Over/Under: 139

Pac-10 Player of the Year Derrick Williams had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and blocked a potential tying shot in the final seconds to seal Arizona’s 77-75 win over Memphis in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.

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Joe Jackson hit the first of two free throws with five seconds left, and then missed the second to give the Tigers a shot at the tie. Wesley Witherspoon grabbed the offensive rebound for Memphis, but Williams came over to swat it away as time expired.

It was a tough test for the Wildcats who are back in the dance after sitting out in 2010. They trailed early but rallied from a 10-point deficit to lead 48-40 after Williams’ three-point play completed a stretch of seven straight points in the first two minutes of the second half.

One thing we know for sure is that Texas coach Rick Barnes is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. However, what we don’t know is which Longhorns team will show up. Will it be the Longhorns team that swept Texas A&M or the one that lost to Nebraska? Will it be the team that knocked off North Carolina and Michigan State or the one that struggled to beat Oklahoma State? Will it be the one that won at Kansas, or the one that lost at home to Kansas State?

Well, if it’s the one that showed up against Oakland on Friday, they could have problems.

The Longhorn’s blew a 63-46 lead early in the second half and survived a late rally to defeat the Grizzlies 85-81 in their NCAA tournament opener Friday. Tristan Thompson finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in helping Texas avoid the same fate other higher seeded teams that have already made early exits.

Texas, responded to the late surge from Oakland by hitting five free throws in the final minute to secure the win. Texas finished 21-of-26 at the line, including a 12-of-12 performance from J’Covan Brown, who led Texas with 21 points.

Arizona’s Williams finished second in league and tops on the team in scoring with a 19.1 per game points average. The six-foot-eight sophomore also finished fourth in the league in rebounds at 8.1 per game, and was the conference’s best shooter from the floor with a 61.5 percent field goal percentage.

If the Longhorns show up with their ‘A-game’, they should find a way to win. This is because they also have four players averaging double-digits in scoring, led by Jordan Hamilton at 18.6 points per contest.

The odds makers have the Texas Longhorns as a -5.5 point favorite with an over/under of 140.

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