Jay Bilas Predicts Major Upset in First-Round of NCAA Tournament
The first round of the NCAA Tournament is set to tip off Thursday, but the four games in the “First Four” portion must be played before that.
Among the teams playing in the “First Four” are the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns. They were one of the final four teams to squeak into the NCAA Tournament, and will be fighting to get into the first round against fellow No. 11 seed, the Xavier Musketeers.
However, while they aren’t officially a part of the opening round, ESPN college basketball insider Jay Bilas is expecting big things. In Bilas’ bracket, he not only predicted that they would take down Xavier, but also declared there is a “high” chance they pull off an upset in round one against the No. 6 seed Illinois Fighting Illini.
“High. I like Texas to slip past Xavier,” wrote Bilas. “Tre Johnson is one of the best scorers in the tournament, and often a First Four team advances. It won’t be easy; Xavier could easily advance behind Ryan Conwell’s shooting. There is a risk to advance Texas, but it’s one worth taking. All three teams have been inconsistent, but Texas has won more big games.”
The oddsmakers at FanDuel already have Illinois favored by 6.5.
A couple of big wins could bode exceptionally well for head coach Rodney Terry, whose future with the program has been cloudy at best. After taking over for Chris Beard during the 2022-23 season, Terry led Texas to its first Elite Eight appearance since 2008.
Last season, former head coach Rick Barnes and Tennessee knocked the Longhorns out of the second round of the tournament. Heading into this tournament, many assumed Texas would not hear its name called, but they were one of the final four teams to make it in.
A nice run could buy Terry more time, whereas an early exit could make the noise around his job security get even louder.
