Texas Tech was sent packaging in the first round of the NCAA tournament of any Final Four Team North Carolina State last season.
Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland expects a longer stay this year, and the journey begins when third seeded Texas Tech (25-8) faces 14-seeded Unc Wilmington (27-7) in Midwest Region Play on Thursday evening at Wichita, can.
The Red Raiders are led by this year’s BIG 12 player JT Toppin, while McCasland said his team’s chemistry is first class.
“With this group, I think there is a real urgent to want to play together for as long as we can,” McCasland said. “They really love each other. It’s genuine. I think it’s a big part of winning and competing this time of year. You have to be more selfless than you’ve ever been. More humble than you’ve ever been.
“I think there must be a reality to do what you need to do to get it. Each game will be different and the first game will take everything we have to win.”
Toppin was transferred from New Mexico and added a necessary element to Raiders and published averages of 18.1 points and 9.2 returns.
His talents may be needed even more than usual this week after Texas Tech’s second and third leading scores were injured during last week’s BIG 12 tournament.
Darrion Williams (14.3 points per match) injured one foot and Chance McMillian (14.2 ppg, team best 69 3-points) suffered an upper body injury during the quarter final over Baylor. Both players set out the semi -final loss to Arizona on Friday.
McCasland is still in a wait-and-see position but will hopeful that both players will be ready for UNC Wilmington.
Of course, he does not want to go into an NCAA tournament game shy in depth. Even more against the Seahawks, which impresses him.
“They are tough and physical,” McCasland said of UNC Wilmington. “They play hard. Lots of respect for them. We know what this is. When you come to the tournament you play a fantastic team. We look forward to the first round.”
The Seahawks are part of the NCAA tournament for the first time since they made the back-to-back year 2016 and 2017. They are 1-6 all the time with the victory that comes across southern California 93-89 in overtime in 2002.
UNC Wilmington qualified for this season’s tournament by winning the Coastal Athletic Association tournament.
“We are happy to be here for sure, but we want to win some games in the tournament,” said the Seahawks coach Takayo Siddle.
Unc Wilmington then played no. 1 Kansas in mid-November and lost 84-66. Seahawks played no other power conference schools.
So it is a step up in the competition for UNC Wilmington and Siddle can see that the red raiders are both talented and relentless.
“They play extremely hard,” Siddle said about Texas Tech. “They are one of the hardest playing teams in the country. It will be the first business order to make our guys understand it. It will be a very challenging game for us and I think it will be a challenge that we are ready.”
Wilmington’s top player is Donovan Newby, who has received 20 or more points eight times and was the most prominent player in the CAA tour.
Newby leads the Seahawks in points (14.6 average), assists (3.5) and 3-points (75 total). Wilmington has five players with 30 or more Treys.
This is the second meeting between the law. Texas Tech published an 85-76 home victory in the season opener 2002 for both teams.
The winner of this game will play either No. 6 Missouri or No. 11 Drake on Saturday’s second round.
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