Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington: 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 16, 2025

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first-round 2025 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our NCAA Tournament previews and predictions for Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington.

2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions: Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington

Here are the odds for this opening-round matchup of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Let’s dive into our preview and predictions for this first-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

Texas Tech 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

Texas Tech enters the NCAA Tournament as a well-rounded force capable of a deep tournament run. Under head coach Grant McCasland, the Red Raiders have built one of the nation's most prolific offenses, ranking sixth in efficiency while excelling in shot selection and perimeter shooting, shooting 38% from deep.

Tech’s problem right now is health. Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian – the team’s second- and third-leading scorers — did not play against Arizona in the Big 12 Conference Tournament when the Red Raiders got knocked out. McMillian is a deadly shooter, while Williams adds some size down low to a relatively small team. J.T. Toppin has been excellent this year after transferring from New Mexico. But the Big 12 Player of the Year will only be able to do so much without his running mates on the floor and at 100%.

If Texas Tech is healthy, the sky's the limit. Tech locks down the perimeter, forcing opponents inside the arc under McCasland's scheme. Elijah Hawkins will need to step up his guard play and facilitating if this team is shorthanded. A neutral court loss against Saint Joseph's and a struggle to put away Syracuse on a neutral court stick out a bit, but if this team is hitting on all cylinders, it will be a tough out.

UNC Wilmington 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

UNC-Wilmington comes out of the coastal after avoiding multiple close calls to seal their tournament bid. The Seahawks lead with their offense that’s capable of getting to the charity stripe and ranks 59th in near-proximity shooting percentage. Donovan Newby and Khamari McGriff are both double-digit scorers that give Takayo Siddle’s squad an inside-out look. While UNCW isn’t known for their perimeter shooting, Nolan Hodge led the CAA with a 47 percent clip from deep in conference. He can get hot at any time. The weaknesses here lie in the defense, where they will allow 36 percent of opponent points to come from beyond the arc, a top-40 number. Keeping the Seahawks off the glass is an ideal way to limit their two big men and sizeable forwards, but they should be a tough out. Per Haslametrics and EvanMiya, both sites give UNC Wilmington kudos for playing up to their competition, and while they don’t have big impressive wins on their resume, their depth and experience should help them in the high-stakes environment.

Check out all of our 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2025 NCAA Tournament Game Previews

March Madness is officially here! The 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, previews, and predictions for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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