DAYTON, OH (WNCN) — After controversially landing the last at-large bid in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, North Carolina men’s basketball is playing in the First Four play-in round Tuesday night in Dayton.
The Tar Heels (22-13) face off against the San Diego State Aztecs (21-9), both of which are currently the No. 11 seed in the South region of the bracket. Tipoff at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. following the end of the other First Four game between St. Francis and Alabama State, the No. 16 seeds in the South region.
UNC is coming off a loss to Duke in the final seconds of a semifinal game in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Friday night. Ven-Allen Lubin led the Tar Heels in that game with a double-double, scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Over the last five games, UNC has won three of them, with the two losses both coming to the Blue Devils.
The Aztecs — who just two seasons ago lost to UConn in the NCAA Tournament championship game — also enter the matchup having won three of their last five. In their most recent game, San Diego State lost 62-52 to Boise State in the Mountain West Conference quarterfinal round. Nick Boyd, who also played in the 2023 Final Four as a member of Florida Atlantic’s high-flying Owls team that season, scored 20 points for the Aztecs Thursday night in a losing cause against the Broncos.
The winner of this game will advance to play No. 6 Ole Miss Friday afternoon in Milwaukee.