We got fresh NIT Bracketology today, in time for the holidays, and a promising contender emerged on the top line.
Oklahoma’s been in the periphery of our vision all year. We thought they were too good, and while it’s common for teams we think are too good to fall into our lap (these are 18-23 year-old dudes throwing a ball at a metal ring, after all), there’s so many teams at any one time that could do it that we leave them all in the periphery, until they step into the light.
Oklahoma has stepped into the light.
It wasn’t anything the Sooners did. They slipped just a little bit, and only after the risings and fallings of those around them shook out. But it shows how close they were to begin with, and, well, here they are now.
Entering tonight’s visit from Texas Tech, OU’s got five wins, one loss, and nothing of any particular note on their team sheet, save that they’ve avoided a trap at TCU and showed how bad they can be defensively against Xavier. They’ll have plenty of opportunities for big wins, playing their league’s five-headed monster a total of ten times, but there are more traps than just TCU, and it’s hard to say if they’re the best team in their state. They’re in a spot where they could win just one or two they shouldn’t and find themselves far away from us, bobbing in the waves. They’re in a spot where they could lose just one or two they shouldn’t and find themselves wrapped tightly in our arms, whispering sweet nothings into our ear.
What a magical time.
Other notes for today:
- Tulsa again beat Memphis last night, and it’s ok to ask: Are the Tigers NIT-worthy? Because it doesn’t look like they are.
- Texas A&M showed some promise in beating up Wofford. We would love to meet Buzz Williams in person.
- We got our wish, but at what cost? Southern Illinois’s still not in the NIT picture, and Butler dropped from our projected field.
- Boise State’s in our field, in a call-back to the good old days (which were a few years ago). The Broncos (they’re the Broncos, right?) did mean things to New Mexico at The Artist Formerly Known as the Taco Bell Arena.
- NC State’s freshly in our grasp, but they host UNC tonight, and that’s got home conference upset written all over it. Our only hope is little brother syndrome.
- Pitt hosts Louisville, trying to climb from NIT bid contender to NITitle contender. I have no idea how healthy or unhealthy Louisville is. And I mean that about both the city and the basketball team.
- Saint Mary’s and San Diego State play in San Luis Obispo, and we don’t know why the game had to happen in San Luis Obispo. Anyway, winner’s gonna have a hard time finding us. Loser’s gonna be right there in our sights.
- Two good AAC games amongst fringe bid hopefuls: Cincinnati tips at UCF in a few minutes and Wichita State plays USF in Tampa tonight. That league likes us, I think.
- Davidson hosts Vanderbilt, looking to help their résumé in the “résumé eye test,” something where moves like the Beat-Cal Strategy™ hold a lot of weight. (Is Beat-Vanderbilt the Southern Beat-Cal Strategy? And how risky is making that strategy? What if you accidentally execute the Beat-Southern Cal Strategy instead? These are the things with which college basketball coaches must grapple.)
- We haven’t talked much about Arkansas, which is a bummer because we love Eric Musselman. They could change that by losing tonight in Fayetteville to a tricky Abilene Christian squad. (Darn it. I thought LaDainian Tomlinson went to ACU, not TCU, and now I don’t have anything good to put in this parenthetical like “LaDainian Tomlinson is not active.” This is not the first time this confusion has happened to me. Although I guess it’s still technically true. LaDainian Tomlinson will not be playing in this basketball game.)
- In a very different situation, we haven’t talked much about Georgia, but them losing in Athens to a tricky Northeastern squad would not help them. Don’t even think about it, Tom Crean. Your team isn’t good.
- Finally, in West Coast action (that’s happening at a normal time), Montana plays at Arizona. Has there ever been a day with more low and mid-major conference favorites playing on the road against NIT bid contenders? I mean I’m having to come up with a lot of ways to say the same thing here.
