2025 NCAA Tournament Preview: UNCW vs. Texas Tech (Thursday, 10:10 pm)

2025 NCAA Tournament 1st-Round Preview:
#14 UNCW vs. #3 Texas Tech (Thursday, 10:10 p.m., truTV)

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network

Takayo Siddle, a UNC Wilmington assistant coach during the best three-year run (2015-17) in program history, quickly rebuilt the Seahawks into one of the top teams in the Coastal Athletic Association upon accepting the school’s head coaching position in 2020.

After opening with a COVID-shortened losing campaign in 2020-21, Siddle has posted four consecutive top-three finishes in the CAA standings, including a shared regular-season title in 2022 and a second-place showing this season.

Most importantly, after several disappointing finishes in the CAA Tournament, the Seahawks (27-7, 14-4 CAA) kicked that door down this season to earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since its back-to-back appearances under head coach Kevin Keatts in 2016 and 2017.

Although the Seahawks (a #14 seed) ended up with perhaps the most difficult #3 seed in this year’s bracket in Texas Tech, they hope to utilize their CAA-best offense and uncommon depth to upset the Red Raiders during the teams’ first-round matchup Thursday (10:10 p.m., truTV) in Wichita, Kan.

(NOTE: For a chance to win FREE BACON FOR A YEAR from our friends at the North Carolina Pork Council, please click the “Bacon & Basketball” logo immediately below and participate in the “North Carolina Sports Network” sub-group of the men’s and/or women’s Bracket Challenge at ESPN.com. If you’re in a hurry, just use the auto-fill feature to complete your selections. Please support the North Carolina Sports Network by signing up today. Thank you!)

Texas Tech (25-8, 15-5), which finished second in the Big 12, behind only #1 seed Houston, is a popular Final Four pick for a multitude of reasons.

The Red Raiders have at least two likely NBA draft picks just in their frontcourt, with forwards JT Toppin and Darrion Williams. Both were first-team All-Big 12 selections this season. Toppin, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound wrecking ball, was the league’s Player of the Year and made a bunch of postseason All-America teams.

Under second-year head coach Grant McCasland, Texas Tech also manages the 3-point stripe as well as any team in America. Defensively, the Red Raiders limited their conference opponents to a league-best 29 percent accuracy rate. Offensively, all five starters and two key reserves are capable (or better) from long range, including former UNC guard Kerwin Walton (40% threes).

UNCW, a 15-point underdog against Tech, is led by senior point guard Donovan Newby. A second-team All-CAA selection and this year’s CAA Tournament MVP, Newby directs the CAA’s most efficient offensive attack.

Newby averages a team-best 15 points per game while also dishing to capable 3-point shooters such as Nolan Hodge (7 ppg, 38% threes) and Bo Montgomery (9 ppg, 36% threes) and getting the ball inside to forward Khamari McGriff (12 ppg, 66% FG) and center Harlan Obioha (9 ppg, 64% FG).

For anyone wondering, historically speaking, #14 seeds have upset #3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament approximately 15 percent of the time.

BPI/KenPom/KPI/NET Team Rankings (of 364 teams):
UNCW — 109/106/88/102
Texas Tech — 8/7/21/7

Offensive/Defensive Efficiency Rankings (of 364 teams):
UNCW — 85/184
Texas Tech — 6/37

2024-25 Texas Tech Red Raiders
(25-8, 15-5/2nd Big 12; through March 19)

STARTERS

PG Elijah Hawkins, Sr. (5-11/160) — 2024 Minnesota transfer (starter)
31 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 34% FG, 87% FT, 33% threes, 196/61 ATO, 5 blocks, 51 steals

G Chance McMillian, Ss. (6-3/190) — 2023 Grand Canyon transfer (starter)
33 mpg, 14 ppg, 4 rpg, 53% FG, 88% FT, 43% threes, 56/31 ATO, 4 blocks, 22 steals

G Kerwin Walton*, *Ss. (6-5/210) — 2022 UNC transfer (backup)
18 mpg, 6 ppg, 1 rpg, 39% FG, 77% FT, 40% threes, 17/14 ATO, 6 blocks, 5 steals

F Darrion Williams*, Jr. (6-6/225) — 2023 Nevada transfer (starter)
30 mpg, 14 ppg, 5 rpg, 44% FG, 84% FT, 37% threes, 112/60 ATO, 12 blocks, 35 steals

F JT Toppin, So. (6-9/225) — 2024 New Mexico transfer (starter)
27 mpg, 18 ppg, 9 rpg, 55% FG, 70% FT, 32% threes, 34/45 ATO, 38 blocks, 26 steals

KEY RESERVES

G Christian Anderson, Fr. (6-2/165) — HS signee (top-150 in Class of 2024)
30 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 79% FT, 41% threes, 69/35 ATO, 2 blocks, 41 steals

G Kevin Overton, So. (6-5/200) — 2024 Drake transfer (starter)
22 mpg, 8 ppg, 4 rpg, 42% FG, 79% FT, 32% threes, 31/29 ATO, 5 blocks, 16 steals

F Federiko Federiko, Sr. (6-11/215) — 2024 Pitt transfer (2-year starter)
20 mpg, 5 ppg, 5 rpg, 74% FG, 48% FT, 0 threes, 24/23 ATO, 25 blocks, 13 steals

*—2023-24 starter (started at least 50% of Tech’s games last season)

2024-25 UNCW Seahawks
(27-7, 14-4 CAA; through March 19)

STARTERS

PG Donovan Newby, Gr. (6-1/185) — 2022 Milwaukee transfer (starter)
32 mpg, 15 ppg, 3 rpg, 39% FG, 89% FT, 36% threes, 118/52 ATO, 3 blocks, 41 steals

G Greedy Williams, Jr. (6-5/190) — 2024 Chipola JC transfer (NJCAA A-A)
22 mpg, 6 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 75% FT, 29% threes, 86/40 ATO, 1 block, 22 steals

G Nolan Hodge, Jr. (6-7/190) — 2022 in-state HS signee (Northern Guilford HS)
23 mpg, 7 ppg, 4 rpg, 45% FG, 79% FT, 38% threes, 40/35 ATO, 4 blocks, 16 steals

F Sean Moore, Gr. (6-7/190) — 2024 FDU transfer (2-year starter)
24 mpg, 9 ppg, 7 rpg, 44% FG, 65% FT, 30% threes, 45/54 ATO, 13 blocks, 52 steals

C Harlan Obioha, Jr. (7-0/280) — 2024 Niagara transfer (starter)
20 mpg, 9 ppg, 6 rpg, 64% FG, 62% FT, 0% threes, 32/51 ATO, 41 blocks, 19 steals

KEY RESERVES

G Noah Ross*, Jr. (6-7/210) — 2022 HS signee (Trinity Academy in Raleigh)
24 mpg, 8 ppg, 5 rpg, 49% FG, 75% FT, 26% threes, 46/29 ATO, 4 blocks, 17 steals

G Joshua Corbin, Gr. (6-3/190) — 2024 Robert Morris transfer (2-year starter)
24 mpg, 7 ppg, 2 rpg, 34% FG, 91% FT, 32% threes, 47/16 ATO, 1 block, 7 steals

G Bo Montgomery, Gr. (6-5/205) — 2024 Holy Cross transfer (3-year starter)
23 mpg, 9 ppg, 4 rpg, 44% FG, 79% FT, 36% threes, 72/33 ATO, 10 blocks, 28 steals

F Khamari McGriff*, r-Jr. (6-9/210) — 2021 signee (Rickards HS in Fla.)
19 mpg, 12 ppg, 4 rpg, 66% FG, 69% FT, 67% threes, 23/32 ATO, 39 blocks, 13 steals

Departures from 2023-24: F Nick Farrar (Sr./transfer/Guilford), G Maleeck Harden-Hayes* (Ss./Portugal), F Ahmard Harvey (r-Sr.), G KJ Jenkins (r-Sr./Austria), G Shykeim Phillips* (r-Sr./Serbia), G Shemar Rathan-Mayes (Sr./transfer/Mercyhurst), F Eric Van Der Heijden (Jr./transfer/Campbell), F Trazarien White* (Jr./transfer/TCU)

*—2023-24 starter (started at least 50% of the Seahawks’ games last season)