The UAB Blazers no longer have a football program, but at least the school’s students have a basketball team to cheer them up. After winning the Conference-USA Tournament title, the No. 14 Blazers landed a spot in the Big Dance. Their stay in the National Tournament, however, is in danger of ending early, as standing in their way are the no. 3 Iowa State Cyclones, who are fresh of copping their second-straight Big 12 title.
Read on below for a detailed preview of this game. You can also click here for our preview of No. 16 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 1 Wisconsin.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 14 UAB Blazers vs No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones Preview
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville
When: Thursday, March 20, 12:40 PM ET
Line: UAB Blazers (+14) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (-14); total: 144.5 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the UAB Blazers
Having faced some of the who’s who in college basketball, UAB won’t be fazed by the stature of its next opponents in the form of the Cyclones. That being said, beating Iowa State is a monumental task for UAB to say the least.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]UAB got into the Big Dance by winning the Conference-USA tournament. The Blazers enter the National Tournament carrying a four-game experience against Top 50 RPI teams on their resume, which includes a win over Old Dominion and three lopsided losses to tournament teams Wisconsin, UCLA, and North Carolina.
UAB’s slim chance of winning against Iowa State heavily depends on how well leading scorer Robert Brown will play. The former Virginia Tech star is scoring 13.1 points per game, the only one from the team who averages in double figures in scoring. Chris Cokely (8.0 PPG) and William Lee (7.8 PPG), however, must be able to provide ample offensive support if the Blazers are to score an upset. The Blazers can perhaps take advantage of Iowa State’s defense that ranked last in Big 12 with close to 70 points allowed per game.
UAB, which is averaging 69.3 points per game, is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games as underdogs.
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Betting on the Iowa State Cyclones
After winning five-straight games in the ultra-competitive Big 12, the Cyclones are definitely ready for the National Tournament.
From top to bottom, Iowa State has every bit of an advantage going into the game against UAB. The Cyclones have five players that put up at least 10 points a game. Georges Niang leads the team with 15.5 points per game, followed by Monte Morris, who chips in 11.8 points each contest. Niang has been even better of late, putting up 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists over the previous eight Iowa State games. Aside from having a roster chock-full of scorers, the Cyclones also have a bunch of players who can pass the ball. The Cyclones are 11th in the nation with 16.2 assists per game. Morris paces the team in that department, dishing out 5.2 dimes per game.
If the Cyclones can put up those kind of numbers against tough teams from the Big 12, then you can just imagine what kind of havoc their offense is about to wreak on UAB’s pathetic defense that allows 67.7 points per game. Take note that most of UAB’s opponents are from non-Big Five conferences.
Iowa State is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
Iowa State (-14) wins, 85-71.
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