The Texas Tech Red Raiders come into the postseason in the NCAA Tournament as a top contender from the Big 12 conference. Texas Tech had momentum on its side down the stretch this past regular season, winning three straight games and four of its last five before the conference tournament last week for the Big 12 this postseason.
Head coach Grant McCasland and the Red Raiders have a shot to get hot again early in the NCAA Tournament and make a run in the Big Dance.
Texas Tech faces the 14-seed UNC Wilmington Seahawks as a team that caught fire at the right time in the CAA, winning six straight games to make the NCAA Tournament this postseason. UNC Wilmington handled its business to earn a trip to the Big Dance with a clean sweep of three wins by multiple possessions in each game in the CAA Tournament a couple of weeks ago.
How to watch UNC Wilmington vs Texas Tech
- Date: Thursday, March 20
- Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
- Venue: INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS
- How to Watch (TV): truTV
- Streaming: fubo TV
- UNC Wilmington record: 27-7 (14-4 CAA)
- Texas Tech record: 25-8 (15-5 Big 12)
UNC Wilmington vs Texas Tech odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- UNC Wilmington +920
- Texas Tech -1800
Spread
- UNC Wilmington +15.5 (-115)
- Texas Tech -15.5 (-105)
Total
- 142.5 (over -110/under -110)
UNC Wilmington injury report
There are no injuries to report for the Seahawks going into the NCAA Tournament this postseason.
Texas Tech injury report
- Chance McMillan, G: Probable (upper body)
- Darrion Williams, F: Probable (foot)
UNC Wilmington and Texas Tech series history
UNC Wilmington all-time record vs. Texas Tech: 0-1 (0.000 winning percentage)
UNC Wilmington vs Texas Tech prediction
This is only the second-ever meeting on the hardwood between Texas Tech and UNC Wilmington and the first since 2002.
McCasland and the Red Raiders are looking to avoid the pitfalls of an early-round upset in the NCAA Tournament this year. Texas Tech was knocked out of the Round of 64 last year in the NCAA Tournament by the upstart 11-seed NC State Wolfpack.
UNC Wilmington has respectable size/length for its interior post presence. But the Red Raiders, led by star forward JT Toppin and junior forward Darrion Williams (assuming he's healthy for this game), should hold its own with paint scoring and on the glass around the rim against the Seahawks and seven-foot center Harlan Obioha.
The Big 12 Player of the Year for the Red Raiders, Toppin has scored in double figures in 10 straight games and leads the team with 15 double-doubles.