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Expert Picks
No time for a writeup, but I'm on the Knights. Grab the points!
Public sentiment will likely be for TCU, which comes from the higher-profile conference. But I lean toward the current form of UCF when they meet Tuesday in an NIT semifinal. The Knights have won nine of 10, with the only loss coming to SMU in the conference tournament. Their smothering defense has allowed just 61 ppg in their three NIT wins. They have also faced tougher postseason competition than TCU, knocking off No. 1 and 2 seeds in Illinois State and Illinois to get here. Take the points with the better team.
Besides the coaching of Johnny Dawkins, the Knights reached the NIT’s final four because of 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall. The sport’s tallest player eats up so much space neat the basket that opponents are altering their shots. TCU has an ace coach of its own in Jamie Dixon, and the Horned Frogs benefitted from multiple practice days to plot against the big fella. They counter with plenty of height, having ranked 78th nationally in rebounding differential, and the harsh Big 12 schedule prepared them for this.