Pivoting now to the NIT. Poor Murray State, who went undefeated in the Ohio Valley conference and actually cracked the Top 25 (which is comical, considering they didn't beat a single top 50 RPI program) lost to Belmont two weeks ago by 1 point on a fade-away desperation 3-pointer in the conference championship. As a result, Belmont went to the NCAA tourney, and Murray State finds themselves in this game tonight against Tulsa despite being 28-5. Their head coach cried a damn river to Fox Sports about not being selected. You can google the article if you want. So now they are on a mission, and their first victim was UTEP, who they beat at home 81-66 as a 7-point favorite in the first round. But tonight they are on the road against Tulsa.
Now here's where I step in. Tulsa doesn't give a damn about Murray State and their shitty conference. Possibly they don't give a damn about the NIT. But Tulsa is a team that has beaten far better than Murray State. They have home wins against Temple (by 16 points), Memphis (by 18 points), UCONN (by 8 points), Creighton (by 13 points) and Auburn (by 18 points). While those may not be Sweet 16 teams this year, they get better talent than Murray State. Tulsa was within 5 points of making the NCAA tournament themselves.
Murray State has a lock NBA player in Cameron Payne (20 ppg and 65 steals). And if Tulsa doesn't care about this game they won't cover. But now that we are in the second round of the NIT, something tells me that we are going to get the Tulsa that thrashed Temple, UCONN and Auburn. Their defense in home games is allowing less than 58 ppg. And that's against the AAC, not the OVC.
TULSA -4 (-120)
Now here's where I step in. Tulsa doesn't give a damn about Murray State and their shitty conference. Possibly they don't give a damn about the NIT. But Tulsa is a team that has beaten far better than Murray State. They have home wins against Temple (by 16 points), Memphis (by 18 points), UCONN (by 8 points), Creighton (by 13 points) and Auburn (by 18 points). While those may not be Sweet 16 teams this year, they get better talent than Murray State. Tulsa was within 5 points of making the NCAA tournament themselves.
Murray State has a lock NBA player in Cameron Payne (20 ppg and 65 steals). And if Tulsa doesn't care about this game they won't cover. But now that we are in the second round of the NIT, something tells me that we are going to get the Tulsa that thrashed Temple, UCONN and Auburn. Their defense in home games is allowing less than 58 ppg. And that's against the AAC, not the OVC.
TULSA -4 (-120)
