The second-best Tuesday of the year has arrived. It’s the first night of the NIT Quarterfinals, and we’re looking at two games worthy of the occasion, with no shortage of intrigue.
Before we get to those, though, we must bid adieu to Norfolk State, who captivated the nation with their upset of Alabama before falling last night to Colorado. Spartans: It was amazing to have you here, and we hope to see you again soon.
In tonight’s opener, Wichita State enters a storied NIT Arena: Assembly Hall, where the Hoosiers last played a game of this significance way back in the 80’s. The Shockers are looking to harvest their second NIT title of the decade.
They’ll have to get through Indiana to keep that hope alive, though, and the Hoosiers have other plans. Archie Miller should be feeling good about his squad, which has admirably handled the adversity of Romeo Langford’s back injury. Langford’s status for tonight is uncertain, but with him or without him, Indiana’s the favorite to be 2019’s first team booking its trip to New York.
In the sequel (I’m not positive what sequel means but am pretty sure this isn’t it), TCU hosts Creighton in what would be a classic Big East showdown had things worked out a little differently between 2011 and 2013.
In true Big East fashion, neither team is a member of the conference that was, until 2013, the Big East, but Jamie Dixon and Madison Square Garden are both involved, with the former hoping his team can win him a trip to the latter, where he could become one of the few storied coaches to win two NIT’s in three or fewer years (I started counting these and figured I’d miss at least one, so I stopped, but rest assured there aren’t too many).
Excited?
Me too.
See you on The Internet™.
