TCU head coach Jamie Dixon has made an immediate impact on the school since taking over the men's basketball program. They'll be heading to their first-ever NIT semifinal appearance and will take on UCF. The Horned Frogs blew out Richmond in the quarterfinals a week ago.
The Knights perhaps had their best performance of the postseason with a 68-58 win over Illinois, coming just a few days after upsetting Illinois State. Tipoff is set for 9:00 PM Eastern time on Tuesday night and it will be broadcast on ESPN, WatchESPN, and the ESPN app.
No. 4 TCU (22-15, 17-18 ATS)
The Horned Frogs have been able to match up with any opponent so far in their NIT run. After pulling out a sluggish victory over Fresno State, they matched top-seeded Iowa in offensive intensity, winning a 94-92 shootout in overtime. That offense carried over to their impressive win over Richmond, 86-68. Both teams shot relatively well (around 50 percent), but TCU had the edges in 3-point shooting and free throws, along with a dominant 39-19 rebounding advantage.
Nobody on Richmond's squad could match up to Vladimir Brodziansky (13.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg). He finished with 20 points and hit 10-of-11 free throw attempts. He followed up a 19-point performance against Iowa. Kenrich Williams (10.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg) recorded a triple-double with 14 rebounds, 11 points, and 10 assists to no turnovers.
No. 4 UCF (24-11, 17-13 ATS)
One of the best defenses in the nation has been getting better as they continue on in the NIT. After giving up 74 points to Colorado, they gave up just 62 to Illinois State and 58 to Illinois. Their average defensive output in the last five games has come back down to 63.6 points. While TCU hasn't been impressing anybody with their defense, UCF could get the opportunity to show off some of their talent.
Three of their starters hit 16 or more points last time out. B.J. Taylor (17.6 ppg, 4 rpg) led the team with 17 points, which is lower than his recent standards of 22.7 points on average in his three games prior. A.J. Davis (8.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) was one board shy of a double-double, finishing with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
TCU is favored by 2.5 points and the total O/U is set at 131.5 points. UCF is 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 neutral site games. Winner will take on CSU Bakersfield or Georgia Tech in the championship game on Thursday night.
