Xavier Musketeers vs Texas Longhorns – NCAA Tournament Preview – March 19, 2025
Xavier and Texas meet in a First Four matchup in the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night. The game will be played at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, with tip-off scheduled for 9:10 PM ET. The winner will move on to face Illinois in the Midwest Region’s first round on Friday.
Xavier finished 21-11 this season, earning an at-large bid after a strong finish in Big East play. Texas went 19-15 after winning two SEC Tournament games to secure their spot. The two teams last met in March 2023, with Texas winning 83-71. Xavier leads the all-time series 2-1.
Xavier Preview – Freemantle Leading the Charge
Xavier earned its NCAA Tournament bid after finishing the regular season with seven straight wins before falling to Marquette in the Big East Tournament. The Musketeers rely on forward Zach Freemantle, who leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game and adds 7.1 rebounds per contest. His return from injury has provided a major boost to the lineup.
Guard Desmond Claude is another key contributor, averaging 12.2 points per game and playing a strong defensive role. Xavier’s offense has been efficient, hitting 46.6% from the field and 38.8% from three-point range. Their free-throw shooting is among the best in the country at 79.4%.
Defensively, Xavier allows 72.2 points per game. The Musketeers have been solid at forcing turnovers and limiting second-chance points. They have covered the spread in 19 of their last 33 games and have frequently kept games lower-scoring than expected, hitting the under in 18 of those contests.
Texas Preview – Longhorns Finding Their Form
Texas enters the NCAA Tournament after a 19-15 season that included wins over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. The Longhorns are led by guard Tre Johnson, who averages 19.8 points per game. Johnson has been the team’s most consistent scorer and a strong late-game performer.
Forward Arthur Kaluma is another key factor, averaging 12.4 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game. Kaluma’s inside presence has helped Texas control the boards in recent matchups. The Longhorns have relied heavily on their three-point shooting, hitting 38.8% from deep this season.
Texas has allowed 72.2 points per game but has been improving defensively. They’ve been effective at forcing turnovers and limiting open perimeter looks. Texas has consistently played in higher-scoring games, hitting the over in 21 of their 36 contests this season.
Betting Prediction
This game could come down to which team controls the tempo. Xavier prefers a slower pace and has done well limiting opponents’ scoring. Texas, on the other hand, relies on efficient offense and has been strong at pushing the pace.
Xavier’s recent strong form and Freemantle’s impact make them a solid pick to advance. Texas has been inconsistent, and Xavier’s ability to defend the perimeter gives them the edge in a tight game.
Pick: Xavier +1.5
This should be an excellent game. When this game is over, the NCAA Tournament field will be down to 64, before the big dance gets started with a full slate of games on Thursday and Friday. The second round will then go down on Saturday and Sunday!
“`
