NIT Bracketology Rundown – March 6th

Basketball! They’re playing it, we’re watching it.

We updated our NIT Bracketology today, and the field has taken an East Coast swing just as the NIT Final Four heads to Las Vegas. Hilarious prank by the universe. We could’ve had Pitt and Providence bussing kids in, instead we have to hope on UC Irvine.

Anyhoo, lot of time left, so we’re here to list all the teams who aren’t in our NIT Bracketology but are close, and to explain what’s changed since yesterday.

Let’s begin.

Moving In: Rutgers, Liberty, Texas A&M Corpus Christi*

Rutgers is cold, and we mean that in the best way possible. Sitting at the top of our projected field are the Knights, and they aren’t blushing: That’s just their Scarlet showing. After yesterday’s loss to Northwestern, Rutgers has dropped five of seven at the perfect time.

And people said losing Mawot Mag would hold this team back.

Liberty joins us, having lost the ASUN Championship, and they bring with them A&M-Corpus Christi, from the land of Whataburger. A&M-Corpus Christi’s situation didn’t change, but the likeliest number of automatic bids is still twelve, and they’re now the twelfth-likeliest.

Moving Out: Mississippi State, Santa Clara, Kennesaw State*

Mississippi State gets the bump upwards from Rutgers. Santa Clara gets the bump downwards from Liberty. Kennesaw State leaves us jilted at the altar. We had so much in common, too.

First Four Out: Santa Clara, Cincinnati, UCF, Nebraska

Good wins by all three of Cincinnati, UCF, and Nebraska yesterday, but not quite good enough to get over the projected line. Work to do. Close to a tossup right now.

Santa Clara’s done until next week, so it’s just a waiting game with them. I suppose they could get some upward pushes from teams they’ve played, but once it’s conference tournaments that all gets pretty circular.

Next Four Out: Utah, Wake Forest, UNLV, Marshall

Marshall, like Santa Clara, is in the clubhouse, and unlike Santa Clara we don’t think they’re coming back out. Utah, Wake, and UNLV all have work to do. More on this in NIT Bubble Watch, which we’ll publish next.

Conference Complications: College of Charleston, Sam Houston State, Kent State, Dayton (kind of)

Charleston, SHSU, and Kent State would all be aimed at NIT spots right now were they not the favorites to win their conference tournaments. Charleston and SHSU are fairly comfortably above the bottom cut line, especially if Charleston wins tonight.

Automatic Dreams: Youngstown State, Yale, Iona, Vermont, Colgate, Oral Roberts, Furman

These seven are all in line for automatic bids if they lose in their conference tournament, but none are likely enough to do that to make our projected field. We have them listed from likeliest to least likely.

Losers: Oklahoma, Ohio State

If the Invisible .500 Rule disappears (more than its invisibility implies it already has, of course), Oklahoma will make the NIT. Ohio State’s closer to the bubble.

**

See you in moments with updated NIT Bubble Watch and a look at toNITe’s games.