For a few years there, it was hard to hold an NIT without Boise State or BYU. In 2018, both of them made it. In 2017, both of them made it. In 2016, only BYU made it, but the Cougars did make the final four (a result they later vacated due to boosters giving Nick Emery some impermissible benefits, which really shows how far some schools will go to attain NIT glory).
In 2019, though, the tap ran dry for national brand mid-major programs in the Mountain West. And last year, even had there been an NIT, BYU and Boise State would not have been in it.
Which brings us to last night.
Well, earlier than last night, I guess.
We were excited back in December when BYU and Boise State each began looking the part of an NIT team. Both were overachieving, climbing back into relevance when they were expected to wind up closer to the CBI. But they went too far. They won too many. They won by too much.
Which brings us (actually, this time) to last night.
BYU lost to Pepperdine yesterday.
Boise State lost to Colorado State.
Now, no, you’re not wrong, those aren’t bad losses, especially both coming on the road as they did. Pepperdine would be a bad loss at home, but it wasn’t at home. It was on the road. And you’re allowed to lose on the road.
Still, they’re deviations from expectations, as in both cases, the team in question underperformed projections by a decent number of points. In bracketology-model-speak, both teams got one loss added to their projection by losing, and a couple more probably added down the line by demonstrating they’re worse than we previously thought.
All of which goes to say: Don’t count these guys out yet.
Tonight’s NIT action:
- Michigan State’s back on the court, and they’ve got a bubbly bit of competition to welcome them back, playing Rutgers in Piscataway.
- Memphis and SMU play again, this time in Dallas. The twain circle one another, pistols drawn (just kidding, in Dallas it’d probably be Rolexes drawn).
- Aaaaand not a whole lot else on the docket tonight. We’ll run down the whole NITuation with tomorrow’s bracketology update.
