Good day, NIT fans.
Our favorite tournament is underway, with nearly one third of the games already completed. Don’t worry if you feel like the tournament is racing past. It will slow down. But still, enjoy it while it’s here. Time is a funny thing.
It was a beautiful night for basketball across the Carolinas, over by Graceland, up the country on Narragansett Bay, out in the heartland in Indiana and Omaha, up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and—yes—right here in Texas.
For a minute there, it looked like Chris Clemons and Campbell were going to do the incomprehensibly exciting. It looked like Texas was going to shut out South Dakota State. It looked like my friends and I were going to get a lot of air time on ESPN (mainly due to the law of averages).
Alas. Chris Clemons’ college career ended. South Dakota State did, indeed, score. We had unfortunately positioned ourselves near the jumbotron cameraman and not the ESPN cameraman.
What a night. I’m sure you experienced similar breathtaking rapture, but in case you were busy, or if you just want to relive it, here are some of the highlights from all that transpired between 6 PM Central Time and 11 PM Mountain Time:
We have a record number of entrants in our NIT Pool.
And to think, just two years ago, there were only five of us.
Daniel Gafford didn’t play, but Arkansas looked good.
Intriguing, to say the least.
Romeo Langford didn’t play, but it sounds like he’s going to.
Nothing like saving a guy’s back for the second round of the NIT. If this is indeed what’s happening, Archie Miller will immediately become a blog favorite. Long live Hoosier basketball.
Campbell couldn’t pull it off, so we are squarely back on #TeamGreensboro.
The Fighting Camels came out of the gates hot, but UNC-Greensboro roared back. To be clear, I never left #TeamGreensboro and I hope no one got the wrong idea from me pulling for Campbell. *nervously fiddles with hair on back of head while looking down and to the left*
Texas/South Dakota State was a GAME!
This had everything you could want out of the NIT. A near-empty arena. Some very good players. Thunderous dunks. A brutal 19-0 start followed by a thrilling comeback. An unexpected scoring drought to save the under. Kamaka Hepa fixing his man-bun in the corner, taking his hands out of his hair to receive a pass, and knocking down a three.
Wright State played Clemson tough.
Say what you will about those Wright folks, but when they go to the Carolinas, things happen.
Tournament favorite NC State held off Hofstra.
Sometimes the first step is the most difficult.
Lipscomb pulled away from Davidson late in a thriller.
These guys went a combined 23 for 47 on three’s, but tell me again how ugly the NIT is.
San Diego turned the ball over 22 times.
Ok that’s fair.
Sister Jean bowed out.
Yes, it’s a bummer we won’t see her in New York, but at least the possible Creighton/Nebraska quarterfinal is alive.
Colorado took down our last perfect bracket.
anotherbracket went nine for nine to start the night, but had Dayton coming down from the mountaintop with a win. For some reason I’m not hearing relentlessly about how there are no perfect NIT brackets remaining like I will Friday night or sometime Saturday about that other tournament.
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Looking ahead to tonight, we’ve got six more first round games, each beautiful and unique in its own way. Best of luck to those competing, both out on the court and here on The Internet™.
Godspeed.
