Texas is set to take on Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Longhorns look to fend off the upset-minded Raiders and advance to the Round of 32 for the second straight season.

Texas earned a No. 2 seed for the committee after a 26-8 season with a Big 12 tournament title under their belt. Colgate comes in with an identical 26-8 record as a No. 15 seed, champions of the Patriot League.

Colgate is more than capable of giving Texas a scare in this matchup. The Raiders are the best three-point shooting team in the tournament field, hitting at a 40% clip on the year.

The Raiders have multiple players that can score the basketball at a high level, with five players averaging double figures.

Texas’ athleticism in the frontcourt and experience at guard should be able to give a struggling Colgate defense fits. Marcus Carr leads the Longhorns offense as the facilitator, while Dylan Disu is coming on hot as of late.

Timmy Allen is back from injury to put the Longhorns at full strength entering March Madness.

Key players: Texas

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

• G Marcus Carr

• G Tyrese Hunter

• F Dylan Disu

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Key players: Colgate

Syndication: Utica Observer-Dispatch

• G Braeden Smith 

• G Oliver Lynch-Daniels

• G Tucker Richardson  

ESPN BPI

William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

Predicted winner: Texas

Win probability: 91.8%

Over/Under: 151

Spread: -13.5 Texas

Story originally appeared on Longhorns Wire