Tulsa might be short handed again, and the Shockers won two of three meetings this season. But at home, the Golden Hurricane are nearly unbeatable. Tulsa is a much better free-throw shooting team than Wichita State. That edge paid off last round and it could come into play Tuesday in the NIT quarters.
It's a rare fourth meeting between teams in the same season, and there is an unmistakeable trend that enlightends this pick. The opener produced 176 points, followed by 158, then 149 in the latest encounter. One factor for the dip is the recent absence of Tulsa's David Green (16 ppg), who left their last matchup with a shoulder injury and has not been seen since. Wichita operates at a moderate pace, which partly explains their allowance of just 70 ppg. Golden Hurricane games have generated 152 (in regulation) and 143 in their NIT outings. The Shockers should be able to deliver another outcome under this figure.
