Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (25-8)
Bad Guys: UNC Wilmington Seahawks (27-7)
When to Watch: Thursday, March 20th @ 9:10 pm
Where to Watch: INTRUST Bank Arena | Wichita, Kansas
How to Watch: truTV
How to Listen: 97.3 FM | Affiliates | Varsity Network
The Line: Texas Tech -14.5
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | UNC WILMINGTON |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Elijah Hawkins (5-11/160) | 9.1 / 6.4* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Chance McMillian (6-3/190) | 14.2 / 4.1 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) | 5.8 / 1.2 |
| POWER FORWARD | Darrion Williams (6-6/225) | 14.3 / 5.2 |
| CENTER | JT Toppin (6-9/225) | 18.1 / 9.2 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Christian Anderson (6-2/165) | 10.8 / 2.2* |
| SEVENTH MAN | Kevin Overton (6-5/200) | 8.2 / 3.8 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Federiko Federiko (6-11/215) | 5.2 / 4.6 |
| NINTH MAN | Eemeli Yalaho (6-8/240) | 3.3 / 2.4 |
| TENTH MAN | Leon Horner (6-4/215) | 0.3 / 0.6 |
| ELEVENTH MAN | Jack Francis (6-3/185) | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| TWELFTH MAN | Corbin Green (6-5/230) | 0.0 / 0.5 |
| THIRTEENTH MAN | Jazz Henderson (5-11/175) | – / – |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Donovan Newby (6-1/185) | 14.6 / 3.5* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Bo Montgomery (6-5/205) | 9.1 / 3.8 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Greedy Williams (6-5/190) | 5.5 / 2.9 |
| POWER FORWARD | Sean Moore (6-7/190) | 8.8 / 6.5 |
| CENTER | Harlan Obioha (7-0/280) | 9.3 / 5.9 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Nolan Hodge (6-7/190) | 7.3 / 3.8 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Noah Ross (6-7/210) | 8.1 / 5.1 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Khamari McGriff (6-9/210) | 11.6 / 4.0 |
| NINTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
| TENTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. The Seahawks are a good offensive team. They are 29th in offensive rebounding and 50th in free throw rate. Inside the arc, they are 80th in the nation in 2-point shooting percentage, 72nd in free throw percentage, and they tend to not turn the ball over, 96th in the nation. What they don’t do well is shoot from deep, 215th, and they tend to get their shots blocked. Defensively, things aren’t as good. The best thing that they do is that teams don’t shoot free throws well against them, 12th in the nation. I don’t know how someone controls that, but those are the stats. UNC Wilmington doesn’t defend the 3-point line, 220th in the nation, and 155th in 2-point defense. They don’t necessarily get turnovers, 162nd, and are decent in limiting offensive boards, 89th, free throw rate, 110th, and block a good amount of shots, 107th.
2. Scouting. The Seahawks’ best player is probably McGriff and Obioha. McGriff is a good offensive rebounder and shot-blocker. He’s a really good shooter, 66% from the floor inside the arc and he’s been terrific around the basket, 75%. Obioha is big and a terrific rebounder on both ends as well as a really good shot-blocker. He’s the one that gets to the line hte most, but he only makes 60% of those free throws. He shoots 64% of his shots inside the arc. Newby is probably the best shooter, he’s taken the most shots, made 35% of his 3’s and is the team’s best passer. Hodge and Montgomery are a threat from deep, 35% and 40%, but Hodge doesn’t have a ton of volume. Moore is likely to put up some 3’s, but only makes 30%.
3. How They Match Up. Texas Tech’s offense should be a pretty clear advantage for Texas Tech. I don’t know that UNC Wilmington has seen an offensive team like Texas Tech. The 3-point shooting, which Texas Tech shoots 45% of their shots from deep and makes 38% of them is a huge share of the offense. UNC Wilmington shoots from all over the floor, 35% are close 2’s, 29% are farther 2’s, and 36% are 3’s, so they aren’t a one dimensional offense. Williams said that he will go tonight and McMillian is a game-time decision.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
Texas Tech’s Wes Bloomquist: Poised for the Madness
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: JT Toppin’s ascent from underdog to alpha has Texas Tech basketball in prime March Madness position
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Texas Tech basketball’s Grant McCasland ‘one of the few’ Drake’s Ben McCollum would work under
CBS Sports: 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions: Picks, scouting reports for all first-round games (and upsets, too)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington: UNC Wilmington is one of the oldest teams in college basketball, and senior point guard Donovan Newby is a dangerous two-level scorer who can heat up from midrange and downtown. Texas Tech needs Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian to get healthy, but this group can score at every single level. UNC Wilmington’s defense leaves a ton to be desired. Top-200 teams shot over 64% at the rim against UNC Wilmington, and the Seahawks lean on drop coverage early and often. Texas Tech has eviscerated drop coverage all year with Elijah Hawkins at the keys.
CBS Sports’ David Cobb: NCAA bracket 2025: Ranking every March Madness tournament first-round game from No. 1 to No. 32
29. (3) Texas Tech vs. (14) UNCW
Thursday | 10:10 p.m. | truTV
Before you go to bed Thursday, check this one out to see Texas Tech forward JT Toppin. The 6-foot-9 sophomore is one of the top talents in the entire bracket and a future NBA player. Toppin is averaging 23.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over his last 11 games.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf: 10 things to know before the men’s NCAA tournament tips
ESPN’s Sachin Chandan: Final Four, national champion predictions for the men’s NCAA tournament (Mark Adams and Ted Emrich picked Texas Tech to the Final Four)
Red Raider Sports’ Ben Golan: Know the Opponent: Q&A with The Seahawk Perch
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
March Madness begins for No. 3 Texas Tech with a 2025 NCAA Tournament West Region First Round matchup against No. 14 UNC Wilmington at 9:10 p.m. on Thursday at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The regional site also includes No. 6 Missouri and No. 11 Drake playing at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday to set up an NCAA Second Round contest between the two advancing teams on Saturday. The game between the Red Raiders (25-8) and Seahawks (27-7) will be broadcast on truTV while the Texas Tech Sports Network radio call can be heard locally on Double T 97.3 and the national radio coverage is on SiriusXM channel 211.
The Red Raiders are playing in the program’s 21st national tournament and have gone from an unranked team throughout most of the regular season to being ranked in the Top 10 of the national polls for five straight weeks. Tech, which is No. 9 in the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll, finished second in the Big 12 standings after going 15-5 in conference play, setting the program’s record for most total conference victories and with eight road wins in conference play. The team has won seven of its last 10 games entering the national tournament to match its highest seeding in program history.
“With this group, I think there is a real urgency to want to play together as long as we can,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “They really do love each other. It’s genuine. I think that is a big part of winning and competing this time of year. You have to be more unselfish than you’ve ever been. More humble than you’ve ever been. I think there has to be a realness to do whatever you need to do to get it done. Every game will be different and this first game will take everything we have to win. We’re aware of that and I think our guys are willing to do it.”