GAME PREVIEW

vs. Texas, March 18, NCAA Tournament second round

KEY MATCHUPS
It will be a hostile environment for Oakland in Tulsa, but the Grizzlies should be used to that after playing at Tennessee, West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio State during the regular season. The Longhorns advanced to the championship game of the Big 12 tourney, and at one point Rick Barnes' team logged 11 consecutive victories. However, Texas dropped three of four games to end the regular season. Which version of the Texas team shows up in the Big Dance? Texas is a force on the boards, averaging 40.5 total rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the nation.

SCOUTING REPORT
Tristan Thompson, Texas' top rebounder, could have a battle on his hands against Oakland. Not only do the Golden Grizzlies feature the top player in the Summit League and a future NBA performer in center Keith Benson, but he's not alone in the low post. The X-factor for Oakland could be Will Hudson, who led the Summit League in field-goal percentage and is a force on the offensive glass.

PLAYER NOTES

--Senior C Keith Benson was named a first-team pick to the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 12 team. Benson, the back-to-back Summit League Player of the Year and also the Summit Defensive Player of the Year this season, led the conference in rebounds, double-doubles and blocked shots this season.

--Junior G Reggie Hamilton, who joined Benson on the first unit of the All-Summit team, showed his potential as an explosive scorer during the league tournament. Hamilton scored 16 of his 26 points in the championship game during the second half, and he had 21 points in one half of Oakland's semifinal triumph against South Dakota State.

--Freshman F Travis Bader was named Summit Newcomer of the Year after averaging 10.5 points and leading the conference in 3-pointers made at per game at 2.7.

--Senior G Larry Wright was named Summit Sixth Man of the Year. Coming off the bench in 15 of 33 games played, Wright was averaging 9.8 points and 3.0 assists per game heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.