Is Chance McMillian playing tonight vs UNCW? Red Raiders guard's availability explored

Chance McMillian and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are set to take on the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. The No. 3-ranked Red Raiders (25-8) will look to start a deep tournament run with a win over the No. 14-ranked Seahawks (27-7).

However, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have dealt with several injuries in recent weeks. One of the most notable injuries is to star guard Chance McMillian. He has suffered several ailments in recent weeks and left after the first half of the Baylor game with an upper-body injury.

He did not play in the Red Raiders' most recent game against Arizona. Fortunately for the Red Raiders, McMillian is listed as probable on the injury report against UNC Wilmington.

Is Chance McMillian playing tonight?

In the lead-up to Texas Tech's first-round matchup against UNC Wilmington, Chance McMillian is listed as probable, and as a result, most media outlets expect him to play. McMillian has avoided committing to playing to the media, saying in a press conference on Wednesday that he would be a game-time decision.

Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland spoke about McMillian's status on Wednesday too.

"Chance is going to be closer to a game-time decision," McCasland said. "We are confident that at some point we'll get him back. Just hopeful it's sooner rather than later."

McMillian and the Red Raiders are scheduled to play the Seahawks on Thursday at 10:10 p.m. ET.

What to expect from Chance McMillian and the Texas Red Raiders vs. the UNC Wilmington Seahawks?

Looking ahead to the Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. the UNC Wilmington Seahawks game on Thursday, fans should expect a dominant performance from Texas Tech. If the team can put a healthy lineup on the court, the result should not be close.

However, if the team is without Chance McMillian, it could be an issue. McMillian is the team's third-leading scorer this season, averaging 14.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Without him in the lineup, it would be a big hit to the Red Raiders' offense.

Additionally, the second leading scorer on the team, Darrion Williams, is also dealing with an injury. Fortunately for the Red Raiders, he is also listed as probable on the injury report.

So, Texas Tech fans should expect both of their injured stars to play based on the injury report. However, even if they cannot play, this should be a matchup Texas Tech can win regardless.