Vegas Play of the Day: TCU vs. Central Florida in the NIT semifinals

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 | 9:46 a.m.

We’re entering the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Central Florida plus-2.5 vs. TCU, $550 to win $500 : Central Florida coach Johnny Dawkins is a savvy veteran in the National Invitational tournament having led Stanford to the 2012 and 2015 championships. In a game expected to be close, I’ll take the points and Dawkins’ postseason experience.

When Central Florida beat Illinois last week in the NIT quarterfinals, its students stormed the court in celebration. It’s a team that will be motivated to keep playing because a postseason run of this length is rare for the program.

Central Florida is led by 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, who was the American Athletic Conference’s defensive player of the year and who will provide a significant matchup problem for TCU on the interior. Because of Fall, Central Florida is fifth nationally in rebounds and points allowed per game.

Current Standings: Grimala (6-9, $8,950), Keefer (39-34-3, $8,381), Granger (13-16-1, $7,040), Brewer (26-27-1, $6,835)

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21