Preview and pick for the NIT matchup between top seed Indiana State and #2 Cincinnati

To this point, the Indiana State Sycamores basketball program has been best known to BetOnline patrons as the launching pad for Larry Bird.

Now they are known as the home for "Cream Abdul Jabbar."

Yes, we will explain.

Now the Sycamores (30-6) are playing for a spot in the final four of the NIT, which will be played down the road in Indianapolis. On Tuesday night, they will play host to the Cincinnati Bearcats at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute

This game can be seen on ESPN.

Indiana State has a 30-6 record, and were passed over for an NCAA at-large bid. Unfortunately they lost to Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, so the automatic bid was not theirs.

But they had picked up some notoriety along the way with the presence of Robbie Avila, a 6-10 forward/center who averages 17.6 points and 6.9 rebounds and exploded for 35 points in a win over Evansville. Because of his, well, complexion, not to mention the eyeglasses he wears on the floor, he has picked up a number of nicknames, the most notable of which is "Cream Abdul Jabbar." If you prefer, you can also refer to him as "Milk Chamberlain" or "Larry Nerd" or "College Jokic" among other names.

Avila, a sophomore, has shot 38% from behind the three-point arc, 61.7% in two-point range and 82.5% from the line, but he needs to return to some form. He has made only two of the last 17 triples he has attempted.

In the odds at BetOnline upon which our college basketball picks in this NIT game will be made, the Sycamores are favored:

Indiana State Sycamores -3.5 (-112)
Cincinnati Bearcats         +3.5 (-108)

Over 155 points -110
Under 155 points -110

Cincinnati (22-14), coached by Wes Miller, was good enough to defeat the likes of Kansas, TCU, BYU and Texas Tech during its first season in the Big 12, then lost to Baylor in the conference tournament. During the NIT, they have taken the measure of San Francisco and Bradley. Their victory over the Braves was especially impressive, coming by a 74-57 score, and they got a season-high 25 points from freshman Jizzle James.

The Bearcats have to be blocked out; they pull down 36.5% of their missed shots. they have troublesome people like 6-11 Viktor Lakhin and 7-foot Aziz Bandaogo who can assert themselves on the glass.

ISU has beaten SMU and Minnesota on its way here. The Golden Gophers were the #1 pointspread team in the country, but the Sycamores scored a 76-64 victory. Ryan Conwell, a 6-4 guard, had 23 points, while Julian Larry and Jayson Kent added 16 apiece. Avila had 11 points and seven assists out of his center spot.

Kent, who had 35 in the win over SMU, is from the same hometown as Avila (Oak Forest, IL) and is ranked fifth in the nation in individual Offensive Rating. The Sycamores have a short rotation, but they are long on credentials in a lot of areas. In case you were wondering which team leads the nation in Effective Field Goal Percentage, you've found therm. Indiana State is #1 in two-point shooting (and they are 69.5% in the NIT in that category) as well as #2 in free throw percentage (at 80.5%). By comparison, Cincy is just 69.5%.

They are 12th best in three-point accuracy (38.1%). And they throw up a lot of triples (49.2% of total shot attempts!), so that could spell trouble for anyone. This is a reflection of solid coaching from Josh Schertz, whose career record - across all levels - is a sizzling 401–108.

While many of the NIT games have had sparse crowds, ISU's fans come out loud and proud. And they're tough as hell in Terre Haute, with an 11-3-1 record against the number. They're moving on to the next round.

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