Utah vs. Western Kentucky: NIT Semifinals game preview

The NIT continues with a semifinals matchup between Utah and Western Kentucky. Who will advance to the finals of the tournament?

TV schedule: Tuesday, March 27, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN

Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York

Every season, teams in the NIT are either motivated to play or get blown out early because they’re disappointed in the regular season results. Those who tend to perform well are senior-led, looking to go out with a title.

A team who fits that description is Utah (22-11), whose three leading scorers are all seniors. The Utes have used their experience and talent to get through the earlier stages of the NIT. They took care of UC Davis and LSU easily, before going to Moraga and defeating top-seeded Saint Mary’s in overtime. Sedrick Barefield and Tyler Rawson combined for 36 points in the upset win.

Utah’s opponent is Western Kentucky (27-10), a team on the rise since the hire of Rick Stansbury a couple of years ago. The Hilltoppers have been infused with talent and would love nothing more than an NIT title, to continue their forward progress as a program.

The Conference USA club has gone through a tough road of power conference teams, beating Boston College, USC, and Oklahoma State (all on the road) to get to this point.

While Western Kentucky is a mid-major team themselves, their players could be considered high-major. Including freshman Taveion Hollingsworth, who had 30 points in the 92-84 win over the Cowboys to get here.

The key for Utah will be their perimeter shooting. It was inconsistent at best in the regular season, which is a big reason why they’re in this tournament and not the Big Dance. The Hilltoppers are going to want this to be faster paced, and not play into Utah’s hands on defense.

Next: How Kansas got to the Final Four

Once teams get to Madison Square Garden in the NIT, there’s no need to motivate players anymore, playing in one of the best basketball courts in the world. Both squads have seniors who don’t want this to be their last game, but I believe this is the last stop for the Utes.

Prediction: Western Kentucky 76 – Utah 66