New NIT Bracketology again today, and it brings with it terrible news.
We’ve lost Josh Pastner.
Here’s the NITuation:
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song): UC-Santa Barbara (auto-bid), Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, St. John’s
Now, this is just for the 32-team field. We’re still expecting the announcement at any moment that they’ll go to 16 teams. If it were the 16-team field, Notre Dame and St. John’s wouldn’t be on this list (already out of the bracket), and Saint Louis would be (they dropped a seed line, and it was the seed line that would put them out). But here we are.
UCSB didn’t do anything wrong, but with our model updating its impression of the SoCon, UNC-Greensboro looks more likely to be an automatic bid than they previously did, which in turn pulls the Gauchos off the list and into a later section of this post. Notre Dame and St. John’s got passed (we’ll say by who in a moment). But Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech beat the crap out of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and Josh Pastner may be breaking our hearts.
It’s difficult to say how much we love Josh Pastner. It would take words we don’t have the time or space to write, because our love of Josh Pastner transcends space and time. We also felt really good about Georgia Tech’s chances as recently as this time yesterday. Now, they’re projected to burn for eternity (one year) in the fires of the tournament that is not the NIT.
Repent, Josh. And please. Take us back.
Moving In: SMU, Michigan State, Georgia, UNC-Greensboro (auto-bid)
My kingdom for home wins.
Michigan State and Georgia each turned in a doozy last night, with the Spartans taking down Illinois and the Dawgs upending LSU. Each is now in our field, and Michigan State’s even in the 16.
Meanwhile, SMU slid into the bid-thieved slot atop the bracket with Georgia Tech’s exit.
Teams on NIT Turf Who Are Too Likely to Win Their Conference Tournament
The Big West Tournament will likely not be enough to contain UC-Santa Barbara, who’d be a 3-seed. Similarly, Winthrop would be a 4-seed if the Big South was better and Marshall would be a 5-seed if Conference USA wasn’t so open for the taking.
The Sixteen
Here’s the projected bracket if it’s 16 teams and they’re seeded without regard for conference or rematch or anything like that:
1. SMU
16. Michigan State
8. Richmond
9. Stanford
5. Duke
12. Memphis
4. Western Kentucky
13. Toledo
3. Seton Hall
14. Saint Mary’s
6. Indiana
11. Mississippi
7. Penn State
10. Belmont
2. UConn
15. Syracuse
Next in Line
Below the 16-team field, from closest to close:
Marshall
Saint Louis
Utah State
Kentucky
Georgia
Louisiana Tech
Navy
North Texas
Dayton
St. John’s
Notre Dame
Abilene Christian
Next out of Line
Above the field, from closest to close:
Wichita State
Xavier
Minnesota
Georgia Tech
Colgate
Colorado State
Oregon
Drake
Virginia Tech
UCLA
Louisville
Maryland
***
And that’s the NITuation.
Our other notes for today:
- Saint Louis’s loss to VCU might not have been affordable, and it’s not just SLU who’s hurt. VCU has vanished from even the scent of the NITuation.
- Notre Dame and Louisville could have used the opposite result.
- Mississippi took down Mizzou in Columbia, giving the visitors a much-needed boost while giving the home team a whole lot of hope.
- UConn took care of business at Georgetown. Probably smart.
- Those hoping for Loren Cristian Jackson (this is me, I was hoping for Loren Cristian Jackson) will be sorry to hear that Akron lost to Ohio yesterday to fall a game back of Toledo in the MAC.
- Penn State stayed alive for another day, dodging Nebraska in Lincoln.
- St. John’s could do nothing against Villanova.
- Indiana visits Rutgers today. Risky one for the Hoosiers.
- Davidson hosts St. Bonaventure, trying to climb back in. I think the Bonnies are too far ahead right now for us to think about them, but I could be proven wrong, especially because I think they’ve missed a lot of games.
- Xavier visits Providence. Two bubbles. One tournament apart.
- Seton Hall travels to Butler. Guessing the Pirates can’t help themselves too much with a win there. Which is good. Because helping would be hurting for Seton Hall right now.
- UNC hosts Marquette. Intriguing attempt by the Tar Heels to reenter our radar.
Make haste.
