Well, scary yesterday if you’re an Arizona State fan hoping to make the NIT, but overall that was pretty fun. We should do it again sometime.
SOMETIME LIKE TODAY!
The NIT-impacting action, from most consequential (in my heart) to least (in yours):
2:00 PM EST: Wisconsin @ Michigan (CBS)
Wisconsin has long been in danger of missing the NIT. Now, suddenly, Michigan is too?? Pretty good trade for us, to be honest. If Wisconsin gets in and Michigan misses it, I mean. Trading Michigan for Wisconsin would be good for us. So, we’re cheering for Michigan? I guess so. Michigan funeral, kind of. If they win.
6:30 PM EST: Rutgers @ Penn State (BTN)
Penn State, what are you up to over there?
Rutgers isn’t entirely out of the NIT woods themselves, but Penn State’s really in the thick of things. Each team should try to lose, which—contrary to how a lot of Big Ten athletics look when viewed on television—isn’t actually what’s happening.
2:00 PM EST: Cincinnati @ Memphis (ESPN2)
Memphis…you could still do it, you know. You could still play in the NIT. You could win it! Not a lot of schools have won it twice in three years. Nobody will check the circumstances of 2021. In a decade, no one will remember that was how it happened (just kidding we’ll all remember the NIT is going to be the biggest deal in sports by 2033).
4:00 PM EST: UCLA @ Colorado (CBS)
This is a big nothing–to–see–until–there–is game. Colorado should be safely in the NIT. Colorado is also playing a home game on the second leg of the altitude trip against one of the four or five best teams in the country.
4:00 PM EST: Drake @ Bradley (ESPN2)
NIT Bubble teams playing for the NIT automatic bid. We could get both in, but it’s going to be hard to do that. We could get neither in, but that would be very sad and we don’t want to think about that right now. The most likely outcome is that we get the winner of this game playing a road game in the opener. Possibly against Wisconsin. Ideally against Wisconsin. Because that means we got Wisconsin.
3:00 PM EST: Wichita State @ Tulane (ESPNU)
Wichita State has made a fool of us before, so we don’t want to count them out again. Tulane? They’ve never made a fool of us. They just win exciting basketball games with bead patterns on their jerseys. And now that Mardi Gras is over, you know the Wave’s locked in.
6:00 PM EST: Washington @ Stanford (FS1)
Oh God. I just realized that the unhinged Washington State fan in our NIT Bracketology comment section is going to harass the hell out of us if Washington wins by enough to make themselves the favorite in…ok this is too hard to explain. Basically, I’m a Stanford fan for the sole purpose of not having to deal with some asshole I’m assuming lives in the Inland Pacific Northwest. This is now the most important game of my day. Cripes.
5:00 PM EST: UCF @ Tulsa (ESPNU)
Very much a don’t–lose for UCF.
12:30 PM EST: Providence @ Georgetown (FOX)
Shouldn’t be anything noteworthy, but I’ll definitely tweet the word Providence and the eyes emoji if Providence loses this.
1:00 PM EST: Siena @ Iona (my guess is ESPN+ but I don’t know for sure)
Just a tune-up for Iona. They’ve got a two-game lead. The MAAC is over. Tell Rider I said that. Tell Rider I said the MAAC is over.
