OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For years, Shaka Smart could play the underdog card as Virginia Commonwealth’s coach. Smart’s mid-major program beat the big boys all the way to the 2011 Final Four, and his VCU squads won two NCAA Tournament games in 2012 and 2013.

Now, he’s in his first year at Big 12 member Texas. And for the first time, Smart leads the Goliath from the Power Five conference against the mid-major in March. Texas (20-12), seeded sixth in the West Region, plays Number 11 seed Northern Iowa (22-12) Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Iowa won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.