The 2024 NCAA Tournament continues to generate most of the attention and excitement, but there are other college basketball tournaments as well. There are now just eight teams remaining in the NIT, and the Cincinnati Bearcats visit the Indiana State Sycamores on Tuesday night.
Cincinnati had a solid year in the Big 12 Conference this season, but they weren’t able to win enough games to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats are coming into this game with a record of 22-14, and they have won four of their last five games.
Indiana State was one of the first teams left out of the NCAA Tournament field, and they likely deserved to get into March Madness. The Sycamores are sitting at 30-6 on the season, and they have gone on long winning streaks this season.
Indiana State is coming into this game as a slim 2.5-point betting favorite, and that speaks to how good of a game this might be.
Bearcats Want to Be Physical
The Cincinnati Bearcats were able to compete in the Big 12 Conference this season due to their physical play, and that will be a key in this game. Cincinnati will be looking to defend the paint in this game, and that could allow them to keep this game close.
This team doesn’t really have a great scoring threat on this roster, but they are still pouring in 74.6 points per game. Cincinnati is led by Dan Skilling Jr. and his 12.9 points per game, and he will need to set the tone in this game.
The Bearcats are going to have to make shots in this game to win, but they will want to set the tone on defense.
Sycamores Can Really Score
Indiana State comes into this game scoring over 84 points per game, and they have proven that they can score points in a hurry. The Sycamores can score in a variety of ways, but they will need to make shots to win this game.
Center Robbie Avila is leading the way with 17.1 points per game, but he can also set up his teammates for some easy buckets. There are four guards scoring at least 10.8 points per game, and those players will need to make shots.
There are some concerns on defense for Indiana State this season, and they will have to find a way to protect the paint if they want to advance to the NIT Semifinals.
Sycamores Slip Past Bearcats
Cincinnati will be looking to slow down the tempo in this game, and that has worked out well for them this season. The Bearcats just don’t have enough scoring weapons, and that is going to become an issue late in this game.
Indiana State has a ton of offensive weapons this season, and they will be looking to put on a show on their home floor. The Sycamores are going to get a big game from Robbie Avila and others and their offense will be the difference in this game.
Bet the Indiana State Sycamores -2.5 on Tuesday night as they are going to move on to the NIT Semifinals with a big win over the Cincinnati Bearcats.
