NCAA basketball on Thursday night and we will see the Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the SMU Mustangs in the Finals of the NIT Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. The game has a start time of 7:00 pm (Eastern) and will be televised on ESPN. Vegas odds have the Mustangs listed as 3 point favorites, while the total sits at 132.
Stat Pack: The Minnesota Golden Gophers got to this game by beating High Point, St Mary's, Southern Miss and Florida State. The Gophers now stand at 24-13 on the year overall, but are just 3-3 on neutral courts. The Gophers average a modest 71.6 ppg (160th) on 44.6% shooting overall (153rd) and 34.4% from long range (130th). This is a good FT shooting team as they hit 74.5% from the charity stripe,which is 26th in the nation. The offense is led by the Hollins brothers, as Andre averages 13.4 ppg, while Austin scores 12.4 ppg. The only other player to score in double figures for the Gophers is Deandre Mathieu, as he averages 12.0 ppg. Defensively the team is good as they have allowed just 67.9 ppg on 42.4% shooting. Minnesota won the NIT in 1993 and 1998, but the last title was vacated due to an academic scandal.
As for the SMU Mustangs, they took care of UC Irvine, LSU, California and Clemson to reach this finals game. The Mustangs are searching for their first ever NIT Title. The Mustangs now stand at 26-9 on the year overall and have gone 5-2 on neutral courts this year. The SMU Mustangs are a team that is built on a stifling defense, as they come in ranked 22nd in the nation in points allowed (62.2 ppg), 7th in defensive FG% (38.3%) and 66th in 3 point defense (32.1%). Now this team isn’t all about defense, as they average 71.2 ppg (170th), while being a very good shooting team, as they connect on 48.3% of their shots overall (19th) and 38.0% from long range (46th). This is a poor FT shooting team as they have connected on just 68.3% from the charity stripe, which is 234th in the nation. The offense is led by Nic Moore, who averages 13.5 ppg, while Markus Kennedy leads the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and is the only other Mustang that averages in double figures (12.4 ppg).
Pick: Yes I will be going with the under in this one. Championship games usually breed tightness and slower play and this game should be no different. The Mustangs are built on their defense, as they have allowed just 62.2 ppg on the year overall and just 61.4 ppg on neutral courts, while Minnesota has averaged just 65.4 ppg on neutral courts this year. The Gophers are not a great defensive team, but SMU is not an overpowering offensive team, so the Gophers should be able to keep them in check, especially in what should be a slow paced game. 65-62 sounds about right here.
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