The NIT has hit the quarterfinals, and this matchup features the quadrants No. 4 seed UAB Blazers (27-9, 16-7-2 ATS) and No. 2 Seed Vanderbilt Commodores (22-14, 20-16-0 ATS). Both schools have been playing phenomenally lately, but only one side can advance to Orleans Arena next week. As the higher seed, Vanderbilt gets to host in Memorial Gymnasium (TN) at 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Let's see who's going to make it out on top.
UAB has been incredible since late January, winning 14 of their last 16 games. That includes both of their NIT games so far, victories by double-digit margins. Ty Brewer's best scoring performance of the season, a 25-point outburst, proved plenty in the Blazers' 77-59 win on Sunday. Shooting 50.0% as a team and finishing +14 on the glass as they did in that one should win be a winning formula on most nights.
Season-high 25 points for Ty Brewer!
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— UAB Men's Basketball (@UAB_MBB) March 19, 2023
UAB is 49th in KenPom's ratings, playing at an adjusted tempo that ranks 31st. The Blazers finished third in C-USA even with such a stellar record this season. They've gone 6-5 on the road so far.
They know how to score, putting up the 10th-most points per game with 81.5. Their efficiency is solid too, with a 35.8% clip from beyond the arc and a 45.7% field goal percentage. UAB also pulls down the fifth-most offensive boards per game in the country, 13.4.
The Blazers are also great at grabbing defensive rebounds, hence their +6.1 rebounding margin per game overall. Their opponents only hit 31.8% of their threes, which is 66th nationally. They limit foes to 41.3% on all field goals, which is 44th.
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