The NIT Season Tip-Off is back in Brooklyn and is set to provide fans with some Thanksgiving basketball. With games scheduled around the holiday, you’ll have plenty of time to visit family and get your basketball fix.
Teams
- Baylor (4-0)
- Florida (3-1)
- Oregon State (3-1)
- Pittsburgh (4-0)
Tournament Schedule
First Round (Wednesday, November 22)
- Baylor vs Oregon State – 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Florida vs Pittsburgh – 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Team Breakdown
Baylor
Baylor is by far the best team on paper heading into the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Bears have earned their #13 ranking through the early stages of the season and have outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points through four games. This is a Baylor team that isn’t afraid to shoot the ball as it is shooting 51% from the field. Jayden Nunn and RayJ Dennis pace the team in that category at 56% for each of them while Ja’Kobe Walter leads the group with 18 points per game. With Kansas slipping to Marquette in Maui, this tournament is a chance for the Bears to show that the Big-12 could be a three-horse race heading into March.
Florida
The Gators have started the year off strong with their lone loss being to Virginia in the Hall of Fame Series. They handled Florida A&M and Florida State by 31 points and cruised to a 20-point win over Loyola Maryland. In its last time out against the Seminoles, Florida have three players posting 15+ points to help the team average 85 points per game. Scoring isn’t the only thing this Gators group can do well as they have two of the top five rebounders in the SEC with Micah Handlogten and Tyrese Samuel. This is a very strong Gators team that aspires of going dancing for the first time under Todd Golden.
Oregon State
The Beavers sit towards the bottom of the Pac-12 standings as a result of a 19-point loss against Nebraska in their latest contest. Jordan Pope and Tyler Bilodeau lead Oregon State offensively even with the team not being the highest-scoring offense. One area the Beavers can catch teams lacking is their ability to pounce when opponents least expect it, averaging 15 turnovers forced per game and 6.5 steals per game. Oregon State gave up 38 points in the paint against the Cornhuskers and will need to correct that as soon as possible to have a chance of competing this weekend.
Pittsburgh
Pitt has started off strong after having the best year under Jeff Capel last year. Getting stops defensively was a bit of an issue for the Panthers in the narrow win over Florida Gulf Coast, but they responded well in the win over Jacksonville. Capel’s group has the experience of Blake Hinson back for his final year of eligibility where he leads the team in scoring and Carlton “Bub” Carrington right behind as a freshman. Carrington produced the first triple-double in Panthers history on a player’s debut and just the second debut triple-double in ACC history. The Panthers true test this season though has yet to come.
NIT Season Tip-Off Predictions
First Round: Baylor vs Oregon State
Baylor and Oregon State come into this matchup on different levels. The Bears are looking to keep the momentum rolling while the Beavers are wanting to get some of their momentum back after the defeat to Nebraska. Baylor is one of the best shooting teams among Power 5 schools, so Oregon State will definitely have its work cut out in trying to play defense. The Bears are by far the toughest opponent in non-conference play for the Beavers.
Nunn and Dennis will be expected to carry the workload offensively for Baylor along with Walter. Even if Oregon State finds a way to shut one of them down, the Bears can turn to the other two. On the flipside, Baylor won’t have it easy defensively. Jordan Pope has produced back-to-back games with 25 points, and there’s a reason he made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team last year. He will certainly be a handful for Baylor, but the Bears have too much talent to not slowly wear down the Beavers in this matchup.
Baylor Wins
First Round: Florida vs Pittsburgh
This matchup between the Gators and the Panthers is must-see TV. These two teams are meeting for just the second time in history with Florida getting the upper hand in the first ever matchup in 2014. Both groups have high-powered offenses as Pitt is outscoring opponents by 35 points early in the season. Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr lead the Gators with 15 and 14.5 points per game respectively while it will be Hinson and Carrington who pace the Panthers.
Ultimately this matchup is going to come down to two things: limiting turnovers and standing tall defensively. Both groups have shown they are capable of outscoring their opponents, but opponents have found ways to put points on the board and make games close. Florida has had to power through a harder slate of games to this point, but this game has the potential for Carrington to shine in the spotlight. To say this one comes down to the wire is an understatement, and 40 minutes may not be enough to decide a winner.
Pitt Wins
Championship Game: Baylor vs Pittsburgh
Baylor will come into the championship game coasting after what should be a comfortable win against Oregon State. Pitt, on the other hand, will have to shift into an even higher gear after the slugfest against Florida. The Bears will have the advantage of playing in the earlier game Wednesday night and having a slightly larger recovery time, but the Panthers are acclimated to quick turnarounds at this level.
Pitt will certainly need its scoring depth to step up in Ishmael Leggett, the Diaz Graham twins and Federiko Federiko. Even with Hinson and Carrington being as good as they are, the dynamic duo won’t be able to carry the offense against two strong opponents in a row. Baylor’s hot shooting will carry over from the Oregon State game and help them while Pitt will more than likely have a slow start trying to get acclimated to the Bears offense and never be able to dig themselves out of the hole.
Baylor Wins