No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas NCAA Tournament Second Round predictions: Odds, stats, trends, and best bets

The Gonzaga Bulldogs face the Texas Longhorns Saturday in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Led by All-American  Graham Ike , Gonzaga takes the court boasting one of the nation's most efficient offenses. Sean Miller’s Texas Longhorns are an interesting 11-seed having recently picked it up a notch defensively.

The battle in the paint will be the focal point of the matchup. Ike leads Gonzaga averaging 19. 7 points and 8.

2 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs hope and probably need to dominate around the basket against a Texas interior defense that has been porous at times this season. However, the Zags are missing a key frontcourt piece in  Braden Huff (knee), which limits their depth and forces more pressure on freshman guards  Mario Saint-Supery  and Davis Fogle .

Texas will rely on the versatility of  Dailyn Swain (14 points in Round 1), who is averaging a team-leading 17. 6 points per game for the Longhorns. While Gonzaga is statistically superior in field goal percentage and defensive efficiency, the Longhorns' physicality and ability to force turnovers could disrupt the Bulldogs' backcourt.