Oregon +1.5 over Michigan ****
Michigan and Rutgers got to play all their NIT games at home.That is a big advantage.
Oregon is an excellant offensive team led by Luke Jackson.If some of you have never seen him watch him tonite.He leads the Ducks in pts,rebs,assits,FT%,steals and drives the bus to the away games.
Around him are some great shooting 3 pt shooters and 6'10 Crosswhite who can also hit from afar.Joseph,Davis,Brooks,Platt can all score.Ducks like to run and when Luke has the ball in transition they score.His behind the back passes or penetration or driving layup.
Mich has Robinson who is a 6'6 scorer.Brown and Sims are 6'9 and 6'11.Abram there leadind scorer is back.UM are more athletic.Horton does a nice job passing and setting up teamates.Haris is avg 14 pts since starting.
Both teams won 12 games on the road combined.Ducks won 7 and Mich won 5.That is pretty pathatic to be in the final 4 at the MSG.
Ducks are 5-0 ats where Mich is 4-3 ats.
Oregon shoots better,avg more pts,better FG%,better FT%.Mich plays tougher defense.But Luke is a stud out there and I think he comes thru and wins this.I see a close game going right down to the wire.
Iowa St -2 over Rutgers ****
This game is not at the RAC.It's across the Hudson River in NYC.RU is 3-9 away from home.The NIT committee let them play 3 home games to get a local crowd.Lyr they did it with the Johnnies.
ISI is not much better on the road.Both teams have a combined away record of 6 or 7 wins.ISU did lose to Kansas by 1 on the road.
RU has a 3 gd attack with Shields as there scorer.Douby since staring is avg 19 pts in last 3 games.But those are all at home.Lama is tough insdie and outside.But RU away from home is another team.In the opening round of the BE tourney at the Garden they lost to the lowest seed VT.
ISU has Sullivan who can shoot in any gym.But the star tonite could be 6'2 NYC frosh Stinson who is ISU leading scorer.He's never played at MSG.I think he goes off tonite playing in front of his home town fans.
But ISU's insdie game is where RU will have problems.Vroman is 6'10 and Homan 6'9.Both are inside players that can score.Blalock can take the ball to the basket.Stinson scored vs all the B-12 teams.
I think RU has big time matchup problems.Inside post defense will be a problem.Sullivan outside can shoot and shields and Douby have not proven they can hit the jumper outside of the RAC or in their dorm lobby.
Iowa St ats is unreal.They are 5-0 and 9-1.RU is 3-5 in last 8 and 2-4 in last 6.
ISU is a terrible FT shooting team.But they beat Georgia,Mizzou,XU,Colorado,and Marquette.
But Wayne Morgan their coach is terrible.He couldn't coach a CYO team.But he has talent and hopefully he will have a big enough lead where he doesn't have to make any decesions.If its a close game ...I'm in trouble..But ISU wins this by 6-10 pts
Michigan and Rutgers got to play all their NIT games at home.That is a big advantage.
Oregon is an excellant offensive team led by Luke Jackson.If some of you have never seen him watch him tonite.He leads the Ducks in pts,rebs,assits,FT%,steals and drives the bus to the away games.
Around him are some great shooting 3 pt shooters and 6'10 Crosswhite who can also hit from afar.Joseph,Davis,Brooks,Platt can all score.Ducks like to run and when Luke has the ball in transition they score.His behind the back passes or penetration or driving layup.
Mich has Robinson who is a 6'6 scorer.Brown and Sims are 6'9 and 6'11.Abram there leadind scorer is back.UM are more athletic.Horton does a nice job passing and setting up teamates.Haris is avg 14 pts since starting.
Both teams won 12 games on the road combined.Ducks won 7 and Mich won 5.That is pretty pathatic to be in the final 4 at the MSG.
Ducks are 5-0 ats where Mich is 4-3 ats.
Oregon shoots better,avg more pts,better FG%,better FT%.Mich plays tougher defense.But Luke is a stud out there and I think he comes thru and wins this.I see a close game going right down to the wire.
Iowa St -2 over Rutgers ****
This game is not at the RAC.It's across the Hudson River in NYC.RU is 3-9 away from home.The NIT committee let them play 3 home games to get a local crowd.Lyr they did it with the Johnnies.
ISI is not much better on the road.Both teams have a combined away record of 6 or 7 wins.ISU did lose to Kansas by 1 on the road.
RU has a 3 gd attack with Shields as there scorer.Douby since staring is avg 19 pts in last 3 games.But those are all at home.Lama is tough insdie and outside.But RU away from home is another team.In the opening round of the BE tourney at the Garden they lost to the lowest seed VT.
ISU has Sullivan who can shoot in any gym.But the star tonite could be 6'2 NYC frosh Stinson who is ISU leading scorer.He's never played at MSG.I think he goes off tonite playing in front of his home town fans.
But ISU's insdie game is where RU will have problems.Vroman is 6'10 and Homan 6'9.Both are inside players that can score.Blalock can take the ball to the basket.Stinson scored vs all the B-12 teams.
I think RU has big time matchup problems.Inside post defense will be a problem.Sullivan outside can shoot and shields and Douby have not proven they can hit the jumper outside of the RAC or in their dorm lobby.
Iowa St ats is unreal.They are 5-0 and 9-1.RU is 3-5 in last 8 and 2-4 in last 6.
ISU is a terrible FT shooting team.But they beat Georgia,Mizzou,XU,Colorado,and Marquette.
But Wayne Morgan their coach is terrible.He couldn't coach a CYO team.But he has talent and hopefully he will have a big enough lead where he doesn't have to make any decesions.If its a close game ...I'm in trouble..But ISU wins this by 6-10 pts
