Pick’Em Sports

The NIT championship this afternoon features two teams that could make it to the Final Four come March.  Oklahoma has Blake Griffin, who has looked like the best player in the country so far this season.  Purdue is more balanced than the Sooners, but Robbie Hummel and E’Twuan Moore are the clear go to scorers for the Boilers. 

Purdue is favored by 1.5 points in this one, but I don’t think they should be.  Personally, I think Oklahoma is playing better than the Boilers right now.  I look for Oklahoma to win this one, but it will be an incredibly tight game.  I would look for lots of lead changes and I don’t think either team will get a very big lead at any point.

Griffin is a tough matchup for the Boilers (as he is for just about any team).  Look for Griffin to get 20 plus points and 13 plus rebounds and potentially get Jajuan Johnson in foul trouble.  The Boilers would probably be content to let him have these numbers, but I think it will be the other Sooners that step up to give them the edge.  Cade Davis had a good game against UAB the other night and I look for him to carry that momentum into today’s game.  Tony Crocker presents a bit of a problem as well for the Boilers.  His size at the two guard is tough to matchup against.  I like the Sooners by five in this one.

In another matchup of two ranked teams, we have Tennessee (-3) against Georgetown.  The Hoyas struggled against Wichita State in yesterday’s quarterfinal.  Tennessee on the other hand looked really good against a tough Siena team.  Tennessee point guard Bobby Maze has stepped in and given the Vols something they haven’t had in several years, a pass-first point.  This is exactly what the Vols needed with the talented scorers they have at the other positions.  Tyler Smith is a great athlete that can get points in various ways and Wayne Chism is a banger on the inside.  Freshman Scotty Hopson is providing the outside shooting they lost when Chris Lofton graduated.

Georgetown is being led in scoring by freshman Greg Monroe, the much heralded post player from Louisiana.  Monroe is averaging 15 points and almost seven rebounds.  Guards Freeman, Wright and Sapp are all averaging double digits, as is DaJuan Summers, but Summers will have his hands full with Tyler Smith today.  I look for Summers to slip in scoring due to using too much energy on the defensive end.

This is a total contrast in styles between the up tempo Vols and the half-court loving Hoyas, but I look for the Vols to dictate the tempo and win this by 9 or 10 points.  If they can get out to a lead, G’Town will have to change their style to try and catch up.  This will lead to the Vols’ victory.

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