NIT 2015: Miami vs. Stanford Championship Schedule and Predictions

The college basketball world may be eagerly awaiting the Final Four tipping off, but another tournament will come to its conclusion on Thursday. That game, of course, is the 2015 NIT championship showdown.

Serving as a delicious appetizer to the NCAA tournament, the NIT title game pits ACC and Pac-12 opponents against one another. Miami and Stanford endured up-and-down seasons in their respective conferences but have rebounded with a huge run in the postseason.

Now that the title game is officially set, here's a look at the schedule and predictions for the matchup.

Game Information

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York

When: Thursday, April 2

Start Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Prediction

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Chasson Randle seems determined to not allow his career to finish without a bang. The senior guard also doesn't want it to end with a loss.

So far, so good.

The biggest reason for Stanford's surge has been Randle's stellar play down the stretch. His 24 points against Old Dominion in the semifinal helped secure a berth to the championship and a school record, per Stanford's official account:

Todd Lichti, who previously held the record, also passed along his thoughts:

Randle's next mission will be to stop Sheldon McClellan. The junior transfer from Texas has exploded for the Hurricanes this season with 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He also finished with a double-double to lead the charge over No. 1 seed Temple.

When McClellan finished his most recent performance, his message was simple:

"

Uno mas☝️

— Sheldon McClellan (@ShelMcClellan) April 1, 2015"

Unfortunately, that task will be far more difficult if Tonye Jekiri is unable to play. After suffering an injury in the previous game, Andrew Fernandez of the Miami Herald points out Jim Larranaga has ruled him out for the championship:

Down a big man, the Hurricanes will not be able to compete down low with Stanford. That will make the job that much easier for Randle.

Sure, he would have loved to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament, but Randle will have to settle for another milestone at Madison Square Garden. Look for the senior to go out with one more massive win to finish his career with an NIT title.

Prediction: Stanford 64, Miami 59

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