We do have a full NIT preview up, so if you’re looking for more, that’s where it is. This? This is an appetizer for the evening feast.
Here’s what’s happening toNITe, with one question for each game:
7:00 PM EDT: Hofstra @ Rutgers (ESPNU)
Will Rutgers have its edge? The Scarlet Knights have made a living off making teams miserable, but on the heels of what they are inexplicably viewing as disappointment, there are doubts as to whether they’ll bring it tonight in Piscataway.
7:00 PM EDT: Toledo @ Michigan (ESPN2)
Can Michigan hold Toledo off early? Toledo scores points by the handful, and teams in Michigan’s position have been known to enter the tournament lackadaisically. The gap could get big fast if Michigan doesn’t stop it.
7:30 PM EDT: Southern Miss @ UAB (ESPN+)
How many threes will Jelly Walker attempt? His career high is 20, set ten days ago at Charlotte. That game did go to double overtime, though. His regulation high is 16, set in a regular season game last year against MTSU. The nice thing about an attempt at an attempt record is that it is very much under Jelly Walker’s control.
9:00 PM EDT: Villanova @ Liberty (ESPN2)
Who will play for Villanova? There’s been a lot of chatter that both Cam Whitmore and Justin Moore are out, but there are conflicting reports.
9:00 PM EDT: Yale @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU)
Is Vanderbilt good? They’ve won ten of twelve, all against an SEC schedule, but they’re only favored by two possessions over an Ivy League team. That’s smoke. Is there fire?
9:30 PM EDT: Bradley @ Wisconsin (ESPN)
Why aren’t people crediting me for sharing that the Packers’ deal of Aaron Rodgers to the Jets is complete? I tweeted it this morning. It came from a source I consider reliable. This is the biggest thing on Wisconsin fans’ minds.
11:00 PM EST: Eastern Washington @ Washington State (ESPNU)
What does familiarity breed? EWU has played this game before. Back in…I will guess November. They lost it. Do things go better on the second try?
11:00 PM EST: Seton Hall @ Colorado (ESPN2)
Are we wrong? Everything about this game—the late start, the altitude, Colorado being better than Seton Hall—points towards a stampede. But Seton Hall’s only a four-point underdog. We understand the Vanderbilt situation more than we understand this.
