Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-8)
Bad Guys: Florida Gators (33-4)
When to Watch: Saturday, March 29th @ 5:09 pm
Where to Watch: Chase Center | San Francisco, CA
How to Watch: TNT/truTV
How to Listen: 97.3 FM | Affiliates | Varsity Network
The Line: Florida -6.5
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | FLORIDA |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Elijah Hawkins (5-11/160) | 9.4 / 6.5* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Chance McMillian (6-3/190) | 14.2 / 4.1 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) | 6.2 / 1.3 |
| POWER FORWARD | Darrion Williams (6-6/225) | 14.7 / 5.4 |
| CENTER | JT Toppin (6-9/225) | 18.1 / 9.3 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Christian Anderson (6-2/165) | 10.5 / 2.2* |
| SEVENTH MAN | Kevin Overton (6-5/200) | 7.8 / 3.6 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Federiko Federiko (6-11/215) | 5.1 / 4.4 |
| 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 | Walter Clayton, Jr. (6-3/195) | 17.7 / 4.2* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Alijah Martin (6-2/210) | 14.6 / 4.5 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Will Richard (6-4/206) | 13.5 / 4.5 |
| POWER FORWARD | Alex Condon (6-11/230) | 10.9 / 7.7 |
| CENTER | Rueben Chinyelu (6-10/255) | 6.2 / 6.6 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Thomas Haugh (6-9/210) | 9.5 / 6.0 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Denzel Aberdeen (6-5/190) | 8.0 / 1.7 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Micah Handlogten (7-1/235) | 2.6 / 5.3 |
| NINTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
| TENTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. We’re down to the Elite Eight so all the teams are good. On offense, Florida is a very good shooting 2-point team, 25th in the nation, and decent shooting from deep, 73rd overall. they also do the other things pretty well, just 56th in the nation in turnover percentage, but are 5th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage. Defensively, they are terrific at defending the 3-point line, 5th in the nation, and almost as good inside the arc, 16th in the nation. They are a team that can block shots, 60th in the nation. They don’t turn teams over, 192nd, will put you on the line, 189th, and will allow a few offensive boards, 133rd.
2. Scouting. Clayton is really good, a high usage player and will have the ball in his hands a lot, but he’s the distributor for the Gators and he’ll make 53% of his 2-point shots and 39% of his 3’s. He’s dangerous. Martin is also really good, aggressive on defense and another good shooter, 58% for his 2’s and 36% of his 3’s.As you can imagine, Condon, Chinyelu and Handlogten are your rebounders and shot blockers. they also don’t miss from inside, but that’s 3 dudes 6’11” or taller.
3. How They Match Up. Florida has an even better offense than Texas Tech, which is saying something. The length is obviously concerning and it will be difficult to handle the 3 big men. I would love to say that with Chance, this gets a bit closer, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. I know he’s trying and he wants to be a part of all of this. I’d also say that the things that Texas Tech is really good at, Florida is good at as well and maybe their biggest advantage is that they get to the line despite being such a good shooting team.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
@MattMosley talks with @TexasTechMBB HC Grant McCasland @CoachGrantMac following the Red Raiders thrilling 85-83 OT win over @RazorbackMBB last night. Coach McCasland talks the comeback win, preparing for @GatorsMBK tomorrow & more. https://t.co/vuviqb2rau pic.twitter.com/hZTmsxkyNZ
— ESPN Central Texas (@1660ESPN) March 28, 2025
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Texas Tech basketball’s mentality in close games could bode well in Elite Eight vs. Florida
“We’re a team that loves the close game moment and loves to be in a dog fight while it’s happening,” Christian Anderson said. “Being down, we love a challenge. We love to be in a dog fight and get through the mud and come back on top.”
Part of Texas Tech’s ability to battle until the end, even in the most high-stakes situations, comes from the team’s basketball abilities. Another aspect is the mental fortitude of being in these situations before.
“I think we’ve been in all these types of games,” Darrion Williams said. “We’ve been up and down in tight games throughout and dealing with injuries throughout the year.”
ESPN’s Greg Peterson: Men’s March Madness 2025: Best bets for the Elite 8
No. 1 Florida Gators vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 6:09 p.m. ET
Bet: Under 156.5
Texas Tech came back from down 13 points against Arkansas with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, winning an instant classic in overtime, which may leave them with less in the tank for Saturday. The Red Raiders were also without Chance McMillian again on Thursday, who is their top 3-point shooter, averaging 14.2 points per game on 43.4% 3-point shooting this season. He is expected to either be out again on Saturday or quite limited. Florida is not allowing any clean looks, ranking 15th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage and fifth in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. With Texas Tech’s rotation thin due to the McMillian injury, it should lead to a slower game and fewer scoring opportunities.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf: Men’s March Madness 2025: Reranking the remaining 8 teams
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Original seed: No. 3 seed (West)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington 82-72; defeated No. 11 Drake 77-64; defeated No. 10 Arkansas 85-85 OT
Under Chris Beard and then Mark Adams, Texas Tech was known as one of the most stubborn defensive assemblies in America. From 2017 to 2022, the Red Raiders finished top-10 in adjusted defensive efficiency four times. Grant McCasland has molded the program into one of America’s best offensive units in just his second season in Lubbock, Texas. In their 82-81 win over Houston on Feb. 1 — the last time Houston lost a game, by the way — the Red Raiders made 40% of their 3-point attempts and registered 115 points per 100 possessions against the best defensive team in the nation.
In Thursday’s come-from-behind win against Arkansas in overtime, JT Toppin — an All-American second-team selection and one of three Texas Tech players who scored 20 points or more — and his teammates demonstrated the power of having a top-five offense. Down 16 points with 10:23 to play in regulation, they outscored the Razorbacks 27-11 to force overtime.
But don’t ignore how Texas Tech ended up in that situation. McCasland’s squad has had a sub-100 defense since March 1, which could cost this team Saturday against high-powered Florida.
CBS Sports’ David Cobb & Cameron Salerno: March Madness winners and losers: SEC has half of Elite Eight field that matches NCAA Tournament’s best ever
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson: 2025 March Madness predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks against the spread, Elite Eight odds for Saturday
West Regional: (1) Florida vs. (3) Texas Tech
6:09 p.m. on TBS | March Madness Live: Texas Tech’s resiliency is to be commended, storming back from a 16-point deficit to beat Arkansas. But in looking forward we should consider why the Red Raiders found themselves in a deep hole early against the Razorbacks and whether a similar comeback would be possible against Florida. The Gators have a deeper and healthier rotation than Arkansas, and what they might give up in terms of NBA-focused talent they make up for with much more consistent performance when they’ve faced real game pressure all through the season. The availability of Chance McMillan is going to give some the hesitancy to jump in with a pick early but I think the Gators keep rolling. Pick: Florida -6.5
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
From Sweet to Elite, No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 1 Florida are set for a NCAA Tournament matchup at 5:09 p.m. (CDT) on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco with a trip to San Antonio at stake. The fourth game in the all-time series between the two programs will be broadcast on TBS while the Texas Tech Sports Network radio call can be heard locally on Double T 97.3 and the national radio coverage will be provided by Westwood One Sports.
“Any day you’re still practicing and playing in March is a great day,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “We are thrilled to be in the Elite Eight and I would be lying if we didn’t say we expected to still be playing. A lot of belief on this team. Last night was a phenomenal college basketball game. Man, it’s such a blessing to still be competing in the NCAA Tournament. We don’t take this lightly.”