Texas Tech, led by third-year head coach Chris Beard, finished the regular season with a record of 26–5. They posted a 14–4 conference record, earning them the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, where they lost to No. 10 seed West Virginia in their first game. In the NCAA Tournament, the Red Raiders received a No. 3 seed in the West Regional. They defeated No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky and No. 6 seed Buffalo to reach the Sweet Sixteen, where they upset No. 2 seed Michigan by nineteen points. Two days later, they defeated No. 1 seed Gonzaga to win the West Regional. In their first Final Four, the Red Raiders overcame a challenge from the East Regional champions, No. 2 seed Michigan State, whom they defeated 61–51 to reach their first ever NCAA title game. Jarrett Culver, a sophomore, was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Virginia
In the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Virginia became the first number 1 seed to lose to a number 16 seed when they lost to the UMBC Retrievers74–54. Led by tenth-year head coach Tony Bennett, Virginia finished the regular season with a record of 28–2. They posted a 16–2 conference record, earning them the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, where they defeated No. 8 seed NC State, before losing to No. 4 seed Florida State. In the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers earned a No. 1 seed in the South Regional. The Cavaliers defeated No. 16 seed and NCAA tournament debutants Gardner–Webb in the first round, and No. 9 seed Oklahoma in the second round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where they ended a potential Cinderella run from No. 12 seed Oregon. In the Elite Eight, the Cavs needed overtime to beat No. 3 Purdue; with the win, they advanced to their first Final Four since 1984. They then defeated No. 5 seed Auburn, champions of the Midwest Regional, by a single point. De'Andre Hunter, a redshirt sophomore, was named NABC Defensive Player of the Year.
Starting lineups
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Game summary
Texas Tech did not score its first field goal until 7:22 into the game. The Red Raiders took the lead, 25–24, with 3:57 left in the first half. Virginia's Ty Jerome hit a three-point field goal with less than two seconds left in the first half, to give Virginia a 32–29 lead over Texas Tech at halftime. Virginia kept the lead for much of the second half, but Texas Tech stayed in the game and took the lead, until De'Andre Hunter of Virginia hit a game-tying three point shot with 12 seconds left in regulation. Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver attempted a three-point shot to win the game, but the shot was blocked by Virginia's Braxton Key, and time expired. Texas Tech outscored Virginia 39–36 in the second half, resulting in a 68–68 tie at the end of regulation. The game went into a five-minute overtime. Matt Mooney of Texas Tech opened overtime with two baskets, including a three-pointer, but Virginia then went on an 11–0 scoring run. Virginia ran out the clock to secure the win with a final score of 85–77. After the game, Virginia's Kyle Guy was chosen as the NCAA Basketball TournamentMost Outstanding Player. Hunter finished the game with a career-high 27 points. Culver, meanwhile, struggled during the game while primarily defended by Hunter and scored 15 points while shooting 5-for-22, including 0-for-6 on three point shots.
