Sports
•
Mean Green Face Irvine in NIT Semis Tuesday
Mean Green and Anteaters Clash in NIT Semifinals
The North Texas Mean Green and the UC Irvine Anteaters will face off in the semifinals of the 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Tuesday, vying for a spot in the championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will be broadcast on ESPN.
North Texas enters the game with a 27-8 season record, having secured wins over Furman, Arkansas State, and Oklahoma State to reach this stage. Their most recent victory was a hard-fought 61-59 win against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, a game played at the opponent's home court due to a scheduling conflict. Atin Wright led the Mean Green's scoring effort in that game with 15 points. The team will be playing under head coach Ross Hodge for the last time before he departs for West Virginia.
Their opponents, UC Irvine, boast a more impressive regular season record of 31-6. Their path to the semifinals included victories over Northern Colorado, Jacksonville State, and UAB. In their quarterfinal matchup against UAB, UC Irvine secured an 81-77 win. Devin Tillis spearheaded the Anteaters' offense with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Bent Leuchten contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jurian Dixon and Myles Che also scored in double figures.
SportsLine’s consensus odds currently favor North Texas as 1.5-point favorites, with the over/under for total points set at 128.5. SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall, known for his successful college basketball predictions (101-73-1 over his last 175 picks), is reportedly leaning towards the under on the total points. He has identified an X-factor that influences his prediction on the spread, though details remain undisclosed. The game promises a compelling matchup between two strong teams vying for the coveted NIT championship.
The North Texas Mean Green and the UC Irvine Anteaters will face off in the semifinals of the 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Tuesday, vying for a spot in the championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will be broadcast on ESPN.
North Texas enters the game with a 27-8 season record, having secured wins over Furman, Arkansas State, and Oklahoma State to reach this stage. Their most recent victory was a hard-fought 61-59 win against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, a game played at the opponent's home court due to a scheduling conflict. Atin Wright led the Mean Green's scoring effort in that game with 15 points. The team will be playing under head coach Ross Hodge for the last time before he departs for West Virginia.
Their opponents, UC Irvine, boast a more impressive regular season record of 31-6. Their path to the semifinals included victories over Northern Colorado, Jacksonville State, and UAB. In their quarterfinal matchup against UAB, UC Irvine secured an 81-77 win. Devin Tillis spearheaded the Anteaters' offense with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Bent Leuchten contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jurian Dixon and Myles Che also scored in double figures.
SportsLine’s consensus odds currently favor North Texas as 1.5-point favorites, with the over/under for total points set at 128.5. SportsLine expert Bruce Marshall, known for his successful college basketball predictions (101-73-1 over his last 175 picks), is reportedly leaning towards the under on the total points. He has identified an X-factor that influences his prediction on the spread, though details remain undisclosed. The game promises a compelling matchup between two strong teams vying for the coveted NIT championship.
