Texas Longhorns vs Xavier Musketeers Picks and Predictions March 19th 2025

SEC Superiority Gets First Test as Texas Faces Xavier in First Four

The Texas Longhorns (19-15, No. 11 seed) and Xavier Musketeers (21-11, No. 11 seed) square off in the First Four on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio, with the winner advancing to face No. 6 Illinois on Friday in Milwaukee.

Texas, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), is the first of a record 14 SEC teams to begin March Madness action. Meanwhile, Xavier, whose campus is less than 50 miles from the University of Dayton Arena, will have a major home-court advantage in this high-stakes matchup.

Xavier’s Momentum & Emotional NCAA Bid

Xavier earned an at-large bid after closing the Big East regular season on a seven-game winning streak. However, a tough 89-87 loss to Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals left them on the bubble until Selection Sunday, when their name was announced.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a better feeling in sports,” head coach Sean Miller said. “It was magical.”

Zach Freemantle, the team’s leading scorer (17.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG), will finally get his chance to play in the NCAA Tournament after missing Xavier’s Sweet 16 run in 2023 due to injury.

“One of the craziest feelings of my life,” Freemantle said. “There were a lot of hugs, a lot of cheering.”

Texas Overcomes SEC Struggles to Secure NCAA Bid

The Longhorns had to fight their way in, needing at least two wins in the SEC Tournament after finishing the regular season 6-12 in conference play. They delivered, taking down Vanderbilt and Texas A&M (ranked No. 14 at the time) before falling to Tennessee in the SEC quarterfinals.

Tre Johnson (19.8 PPG) leads Texas in scoring, while Arthur Kaluma (7.6 RPG, 12.4 PPG) anchors the frontcourt.

“I give my guys a lot of credit for staying the course,” head coach Rodney Terry said. “This SEC season was the toughest I’ve ever coached in, but we’re playing our best basketball right now.”

Betting Insights & NCAA Tournament Outlook

• Xavier has a home-court edge with Dayton proximity.
• Texas needed two SEC Tournament wins to secure their bid.
• Winner faces No. 6 Illinois in Midwest Region First Round.
• John Wooden Award Odds, College Basketball Championship Odds, and First Four betting lines continue to shift.

For the latest insights, Pick Page, and Odds Page updates, and expert picks, visit the Expert Betting Guide for full tournament analysis.

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Final Thoughts

Will Xavier ride home-court momentum to a First Four victory, or can Texas prove SEC dominance by advancing? With NCAA Tournament survival at stake, expect an intense battle in Dayton.