BIG AL's NIT CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER (THURSDAY)!

At 9:30 pm, on Thursday, in the NIT Tournament Championship game, our selection is on the UAB Blazers, on the moneyline, over North Texas. This is the 4th meeting this season between these Conference USA rivals. North Texas won the first two meetings, while UAB won the 3rd meeting, in the Conference USA tournament. The Mean Green greatly favor a slow pace, as their games average 120.10 ppg, while UAB likes a more up-tempo pace, as its games average 151.55 ppg. The first two meetings between these teams were played at a very slow pace. Not surprisingly, the Mean Green won those regular season games. The first was played at UAB on January 21, and North Texas upset the Blazers, 63-52, as a 3-point road underdog. The pace was 62.8. Importantly, that game was played without Jelly Walker on the floor, as he was nursing a bruised foot. Then, on February 9, the Mean Green won at home, as a 2.5-point favorite, 82-79. That game went into double-overtime, so the high score is extremely misleading; it was tied, 62-62, at the end of regulation, and had a very slow pace of 57.1. Walker scored 20 points in a losing effort. The 3rd meeting, which was on March 10, had a much faster pace (68.1) than the prior two meetings, and UAB won, 76-69, as a 2-point favorite. Although the final margin of victory was seven points, UAB was in complete control the entire way. It sprinted out to a 22-2 start, and led by as many as 16 points in the 2nd half. Jelly Walker dominated with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. In this 4th meeting, I expect Walker to once again be the best player on the floor, and to lead UAB to the NIT Title. UAB has gone 14-2 straight-up since Walker returned from injury. Its two losses were the aforementioned double-overtime loss at North Texas, and the Conference USA Championship game vs. Florida Atlantic (which is playing on Saturday in the Final Four). We'll take UAB on the moneyline. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.