NC State Faces Texas in NCAA Tournament First Four Clash

Dayton, OH – The NC State Wolfpack (20-13) will battle the Texas Longhorns (18-14) in a First Four matchup of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. EST at the University of Dayton Arena and will be televised on truTV.

Rematch in Dayton

This marks the seventh all-time meeting between NC State and Texas, with the Longhorns holding a 4-2 advantage in the series. The Wolfpack will be looking to avenge a 102-97 loss to Texas earlier this season in the Maui Invitational.

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NC State enters the tournament after falling to Virginia, 81-74, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Texas, meanwhile, lost to Ole Miss, 76-66, in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

Key Players

NC State: The Wolfpack boast a balanced scoring attack with Paul McNeil, Jr., Quadir Copeland, and Ven-Allen Lubin all averaging 13.9 points per game. McNeil has been particularly impressive, reaching 100 three-pointers this season and nearing the program’s single-season record. Copeland was named All-ACC Third Team, leading the ACC in assists. Lubin leads the ACC and ranks third in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 67.6 percent.

Texas: The Longhorns are led by junior guard Dailyn Swain, who averages 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis adds 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds, while senior guards Tramon Mark (13.4 points) and Jordan Pope (13.3 points) similarly contribute significantly.

Coaching Matchup

NC State is guided by first-year head coach Will Wade, who is making his eighth NCAA Tournament appearance. Texas is led by Sean Miller, in his second stint with the program, and his 21st season as a head coach.

Game Details

• Date: Tuesday, March 17
• Time: 9:15 p.m. EST
• Location: UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio
• TV: truTV
• Live Stream: trutv.com
• Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network
• Line: Texas -1.5
• Over/Under: 159.5

NC State in the NCAA Tournament

This is NC State’s 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and its third in the last four seasons. It’s the second time the program has played in the First Four in Dayton, with the first appearance coming in 2014.