The matchup: No. 10 Gophers vs. No. 7 Texas

POINT GUARD: AL NOLEN VS. DOGUS BALBAY

Balbay only became the undisputed starter for the Longhorns' past 11 games, but the sophomore has had a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio during that span and Texas finished with a 7-4 record. Nolen had an 18-point game in the Gophers' best performance of the year, a victory over Louisville on Dec. 20. He went through an up-and-down conference season (6.1 points, 37 turnovers, 32.7 percent shooting) but became a better game manager down the stretch, committing only one turnover in his past four games. Edge: Gophers. Nolen still is one of the best perimeter defenders anywhere.

SHOOTING GUARD: LAWRENCE WESTBROOK VS. A.J. ABRAMS

Both players like to shoot -- a lot. Abrams is a 38.9 percent three-point shooter who led Texas is scoring with 16.3 points per game. He hits shots from many angles. Westbrook isn't as accurate (35.3 percent on three-pointers), but he's far stronger and just as much of a playmaker. Westbrook likes to have the ball in his hands, and the Gophers benefit when he does: They are 11-2 when he leads the team in scoring. Edge: Texas. The Longhorns' and Abrams' previous NCAA tournament success gives him an advantage.

GUARD: JAMAL ABU-SHAMALA VS. JUSTIN MASON

Although it's not known who will get most of the playing time here for the Gophers, Texas will probably use a three-guard lineup, meaning Abu-Shamala and Blake Hoffarber might see more minutes than usual. Abu-Shamala has started the past three games and had 10 points in 20 minutes against Michigan in the regular-season finale. He's averaging 3.7 ppg, Hoffarber 6.5 ppg. Mason averaged 6.2 points and is known more for his defense (he made the All-Big 12 defensive team). He's a sturdy 6-2 guard who can play bigger than he is. Edge: Texas. The Gophers tandem is equal to Mason offensively, but Mason's defensive skills win out.

FORWARD: DAMIAN JOHNSON VS. DAMION JAMES

The are two extremely important players on both ends of the floor. James is definitely the better athlete. He can knock down threes (32.1 percent), but with a 222-pound frame he can also finish around the basket (15.4 points per game). Johnson deserves the nickname Mr. Everything. He's second on the team in scoring (9.7 points per game) and steals (57), leads the Gophers in blocks (59) and is third in rebounding (4.2 per game). He was the Gophers' top scorer in the Big Ten tournament (13.5 points per game). Edge: Texas. Rarely does an opponent have a better all-around skill set than Johnson, but James' combination of athleticism and physicality is NBA-worthy.

CENTER: RALPH SAMPSON III VS. DEXTER PITTMAN

Pittman's frame alone -- 6-11, 298 pounds -- screams disadvantage. Sampson, a 6-11, 220-pound freshman center, doesn't have the bulk to bang with Pittman, so Gophers coach Tubby Smith is calling on his teammates to help inside. Sampson, however, averaged 1.5 blocks during the season and managed 6.4 points per game. But he will need some assistance against Pittman, who dominated during the Big 12 tournament with 17.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Pittman tires easily and plays limited minutes. Edge: Texas. Pittman, a junior, is doing some of the things in the paint that Sampson hopes to do one day ... watch and learn.

BENCH

Texas pulls players such as Gary Johnson (10.5 points per game) off the bench to give teams fits. But reserves account for only 33 percent of the Longhorns' scoring average of 72.3 points per game. The Gophers play up to 12 players, and it's impossible to tell who is going to step up on a given day. Devron Bostick, Devoe Joseph, Jamal Abu-Shamala and Paul Carter all have the ability to give the Gophers quality minutes. In all, 11 players average at least 10.9 minutes per game. Edge: Even. Texas brings a lot of veterans off the bench, but they are just as sporadic as the Gophers' young reserves.

COACHING: TUBBY SMITH VS. RICK BARNES

Hmmm. Do you pick the coach who is making his 11th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance with his team (Barnes)? Or the coach who has missed the second round of the Big Dance only once in 14 previous NCAA tournaments? Smith has taken the remnants of a 9-22 Gophers team from 2006-07 and turned it into an NCAA squad in two seasons without having an all-conference player. Texas features two All-Big 12 second-teamers and numerous other athletes but still failed to live up to high expectations established at the start of the year. Edge: Gophers. Barnes' team should have been better, and few could have guessed that Smith would have accomplished what he did this season.

PREDICTION