NIT 2015: Schedule, Live Stream and Bracket Predictions for Semifinals
The 2015 NIT returns to action Tuesday with a pair of semifinal contests sure to quell your need for postseason college hoops with the NCAA tournament on a break before the Final Four commences.
No. 1 Temple will be looking to keep its offensive hot streak alive against a tough No. 2 Miami team that continues to show its resilience and squeeze out close wins. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Old Dominion continues to ride its stellar defense through the NIT, but it will have its hands full against a well-rounded No. 2 Stanford squad.
With these highly anticipated showdowns just hours away, let's take one last look at all of the essential viewing information and predict the winner of each NIT semifinals contest.
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NIT Semifinals Schedule
| March 31 | 7 p.m. | No. 2 Miami vs. No. 1 Temple | ESPN |
| March 31 | 9 p.m. | No. 2 Stanford vs No. 1 Old Dominion | ESPN |
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Bracket: NCAA.com
Predictions
No. 1 Temple vs. No. 2 Miami
The Owls haven't been known for their offense throughout the season, ranking 238th in the nation in points per game. Well, that trend certainly hasn't continued during NIT action, as Temple scored 73, 90 and 77 points in its three games, respectively.
Temple is hitting its stride thanks in part to fantastic guard play. During the team's quarterfinals contest against Louisiana Tech, all three starting guards scored double-digit points, with Quenton DeCosey's game-high 21-point performance leading the way—he also added 11 rebounds for the game's only double-double.
DeCosey was complemented nicely by Owls' leading scorer Will Cummings, who bucketed six of 13 attempts from the floor, including three of five shots from downtown, for 15 points, adding six assists as well. Jesse Morgan rounded out the phenomenal play with a 17-point performance.
Temple shot 49.1 percent as a team in that contest and also hit nine of 18 attempts from three-point range. It dominated the boards with a plus-seven rebound margin and moved the ball around nicely, generating 16 assists. If that keeps up, Miami will have its hands full for sure.
The Hurricanes have been riding the efforts of guard Sheldon McClellan. The junior put his team on his back to score 16 points in a comeback win over Richmond in the quarterfinals. Athletic guard Davon Reed hit just one of six attempts from the floor, but he was solid at the free-throw line and made his presence felt on defense, as he finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
If Miami is to upend Temple, it will need more than just solid guard play. After all, that has been the Owls' forte of late. The Hurricanes must get solid showings from 7'0" center Tonye Jekiri and 6'10" forward Ivan Cruz Uceda, as the team's biggest advantage will be its size on the interior.
While Miami will likely stick around due to its ability to collect rebounds and gain second-chance opportunities, it's difficult to bet against a Temple offense that's just on fire right now.
Prediction: Temple 72, Miami 65
No. 1 Old Dominion vs. No. 2 Stanford
Old Dominion's defense has been nothing short of fantastic this season, and the Monarchs have continued that trend during NIT action. After allowing just 56 and 49 points to Charleston Southern and Illinois State, respectively, Old Dominion gave up 69 to Murray State in the quarterfinals; however, the Racers didn't reach that number by circumventing a stout Monarchs defense.
Murray State hit only 37.7 percent of its attempts from the floor and made just 5-of-21 from downtown in that contest. The reason for the team's 69 points was an abundance of fouls by the Monarchs—23, to be exact. That led to 35 free-throw attempts for the Racers, and they made 24—more than one-third of their points.
Old Dominion must cut down on fouls against a Stanford team that shoots an impressive 72.5 percent from the line. If the Monarchs can limit the free-throw attempts given to the Cardinal, guard Trey Freeman, who is coming off a 25-point performance against Murray State, will be able to take over on the offensive end of the court and propel his team to the final.
Stanford's offense will test Old Dominion's stout defense, as the Cardinal have scored at least 74 points in each of their NIT appearances. This is a team that gets fantastic guard play but also has a big presence on the interior, making for a versatile and well-rounded starting five.
Guards Anthony Brown and Chasson Randle continue to be serious shooting threats from all over the court, while 6'11" center Stefan Nastic demands attention down low. The Cardinal move the ball around well on offense, and with capable scorers on the inside and perimeter, they can keep even the best defenses on their heels.
If Stanford can use its size to its advantage and collect enough boards to create second-chance opportunities on the offensive side of the ball while limiting scoring chances for Old Dominion, the team's offense should be able to do just enough to get past a solid defense and move on to the final.
Prediction: Stanford 66, Old Dominion 62
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