Upon first glance, I probably liked UAB +5.5 if I played anything on this NIT quarterfinal, but now that UC Irvine has fallen to a respectable moneyline number I'm gonna take the 30-win Anteaters on their home court. It's one of the most veteran rosters in the country with five guys having played at least 100 NCAA games and three with at least 1,000 points led by All-Big West first-team center Bent Leuchten. UC Irvine ranks No. 2 nationally in free-throw percentage and this is a big deal as no Big West team had even reached the NIT quarters since 1985. Third straight NIT true road game for UAB, which has been in California for several days after upsetting Santa Clara on Sunday.

As long as UAB has caught its breath after chasing down Santa Clara on Sunday, another NIT road success is possible. Double-double machine 6-9 PF Yaxel Lendeborg (17.8 ppg & 11.2 rpg, third nationally in the latter) caries a streak of five straight double-doubles into Irvine, and help at SCU was provided by 6-8 frontliner Christian Coleman, who scored 21, part of the Blazers' potent offensive brew (82.5 ppg) and greater challenges up front than UCI faced in the Big West. The NIT has already tested the mettle of Andy Kennedy's team, flying the Blazers all across the country, though UAB has at least been able to stay in the same time zone after the win at Santa Clara. Play UAB (NIT).