Red Raiders vs Crimson Tide: March Madness Showdown

0:00On March 21, Texas Tech's Red Raiders punched their ticket to the second round of March Madness as the fifth seed in the Midwest region. They'll square off against the fourth-seated Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday in Tampa, Florida. Both teams cruised through their first round games with convincing wins. The Red Raiders handled Akron 91-71 on Friday. Alabama took down Hofstra 90-70 in their match-up. These victory set up an intriguing battle between two programs looking to advance deeper into the tournament. Historically, Alabama holds the edge, leading the series seven games to one. Texas Tech's lone win came back in the 1963-1964 season, and they've dropped the last six meetings, including a loss. In 2013, despite missing star-forward J.T. Topin for a seventh straight game, the Red Raiders improved to four and three without him. Coach Grant McCaslin emphasized playing hard, regardless of seeding, crediting his teens' preparation and readiness to step up.

1:01The winner heads to the sweet 16 against either top-seated Michigan or ninth-seated St. Louis. This clash could be a turning point for Texas Tech as they chase a rare breakthrough.