The final First Four matchup to begin the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament features the Xavier Musketeers (21-11) taking on the Texas Longhorns (19-15) to become the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region’s opening round.
Xavier finished fourth in the Big East this season, but the school dropped its quarterfinal matchup against Marquette to end their impressive seven-game winning streak. The Musketeers had an impressive win over Creighton during that run, sealing their berth in this year’s tournament.
The Longhorns looked like a long shot to make the tournament after finishing 6-12 in the SEC this year. Two wins in the postseason tournament – including a double-overtime thriller against Texas A&M – propelled Texas into the Big Dance, becoming one of a record-smashing 14 conference schools to qualify for a single tournament.
Will Xavier or Texas advance to the Midwest Region’s opening round on Friday? We’ll cover that and give bettors our favorite player prop bets for Wednesday’s game.
Talented freshman Tre Johnson has become a dominant scoring force for the Longhorns down the stretch. In nine of the team’s last 15 games, the 6-foot-6 guard has poured in at least 20 points for Texas, and he’s leading the team with 19.8 points per game this season.
Johnson has posted almost twice as many shots as his next-closest teammate, suggesting he’ll get a strong volume on Wednesday against the Musketeers. Bettors should expect him to cover this player prop bet because he’s putting up nearly 16 shots per game and attempting an average of four free throws each night.
Zach Freemantle has made the most of his time at Xavier. The 6-foot-9 forward is leading the team in multiple categories this season, averaging 17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and nearly one block per game for the Musketeers.
Fremantle upped his game over the past month, finishing with more than 26 combined points and rebounds in five of his past eight games. Marquette keyed in on the big man, slowing him down in the Big East quarterfinal matchup. Expect Texas to do the same, keeping him from covering this player prop bet.
Senior Arthur Kaluma has been the glue holding together this Texas team. The 6-foot-7 forward is a consistent contributor for the Longhorns, averaging 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game thus far.
In six of the past seven games, Kaluma has finished with at least 16 combined points and rebounds for Texas. The senior will find a way to leave his mark in the contest, and bettors should have confidence he’ll finish with at least 17 combined points and rebounds in Wednesday’s First Four finale.
Texas caught fire for the SEC tournament, knocking off Texas A&M and giving Tennessee a run for its money last week. Still, the Longhorns struggled throughout the season during their first year in the conference, and an argument Texas did not belong in the NCAA Tournament would have few detractors.
Xavier improved as the season wore on, allowing the Musketeers to finish the season on their long winning streak. The Musketeers will make the short trip to Dayton for this matchup, and their fans travel well. Expect this matchup to feel akin to a home game for Xavier, helping them cover the spread and win this contest on Wednesday.
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