How Nevada's Unconventional Roster-Building Strategy Engineered Its Miraculous Sweet 16 Run

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nevada’s upset of Cincinnati in the second round of the NCAA tournament will be remembered, first and foremost, for its sheer implausibility. Down 22 points with 11:37 left in the second half, the Wolf Pack looked all but certain to bow out against a 31-win No. 2 seed with the second-best defense in the country. They proceeded to rip off a 32-8 run against the Bearcats to produce a meme-worthy win probability chart, complete a comeback that tied for the second largest in tourney history and earn the program its first trip since 2004 to the Sweet 16, where Nevada will face No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago on Thursday in Atlanta.

The victory was stunning on its own terms, but zoom…