The tightness of this year’s NIT window, as we’ve grown to assume it’s a 16-team field, makes it challenging to know what’s best for individual teams. Already difficult, it’s gotten that much harder, and until we hear official word from the NCAA on the format, there’s a guessing game element making things even tougher on the hopefuls.
The tournament continues to innovate.
Today’s notes:
- Utah State fell in a close one at Boise State. Probably good enough to keep the Aggies above the cut line. Tough for the Broncos, though.
- Saint Louis got whooped by Dayton. Not sure if SLU will get an at-large bid or not. They might be ready to just wave the white flag, too.
- UMBC beat Vermont, putting things back into a tie atop the A-East. Not sure what their tiebreaker situation is.
- South Dakota State beat North Dakota State, putting the Jacks into either first or second in the Summit League, where, again, I don’t know how the standings are working. Rematch today, and South Dakota, who also might be in the lead, hosts Oral Roberts.
- Northern Kentucky took down Wright State, but Cleveland State didn’t capitalize, falling to the artist formerly known as IPFW. Rematches in both those today. I know it probably doesn’t matter, because auto-bids are probably getting nixed, but I can’t look away. The HoLo has my heart.
- Duke hosts Virginia today. I don’t think a win would push the Blue Devils up out of the projected field, but the potential momentum consequences are risky.
- Michigan State and Indiana have already tipped. Huge one there on opposite sides of the bubble. Game’s in Bloomington.
- Minnesota hosts Illinois. Should be routine, and should help the Gophs, but lot of ways it could go wrong.
- Louisville goes to UNC. Loss oughta be enough for now for the Tar Heels.
- Syracuse and Notre Dame take each other on in the Carrier Dome. Got a bit of a winner-stays feel to it.
- UConn visits Villanova. Don’t do anything rash, Huskies.
- Stanford visits Washington State. Not too much the Cardinals can do to hurt themselves there.
- Mississippi plays Mississippi State in Oxford. The home team’s in a great spot, but a wide margin either way could make matters treacherous.
- Utah’s at Oregon. Pac-12 has one desired result for this game, if it cares about the NIT (and I think it does).
- Kentucky’s very possibly eliminated, but they do play Tennessee in Knoxville, and it’s hard not to wonder.
- Georgia Tech’s playing at Miami. Nothing to lose there for the Jackets.
- Georgia visits Florida, needing a good win.
- UCLA hosts Arizona State, needing a bad loss.
- Richmond hosts Duquesne, just needing to hold serve.
- Keep an eye on UC-Santa Barbara, who welcomes Cal State-Bakersfield to the Thunderdome tonight. Gauchos don’t have much room for error.
- I’m not taking Navy’s bid too seriously, because of the 16-team thing, but I’d like to, because that’d be a fun story. They visit American.
Bona NIT.
