10. Baylor @ Florida
Inconsequential.
9. Kentucky @ Texas Tech
Weird that this is being televised. Although to be fair, these guys both aren’t locked out quite yet.
8. Missouri @ West Virginia
Mizzou’s NIT hopes have been fading fast, with the home loss to Texas A&M on Tuesday the latest nail in the chest. West Virginia, of course, is out of it. But, there’s the chance Mizzou pulls off the stunner today, which would reset things, or at least keeps it close, which would bode well for their future.
7. Kansas State @ Alabama
Big opportunity for the Bama, playing a Kansas State team that who knows what they’ll do after this week. They look ready for a Crimson Tide, and I don’t mean Alabama. I mean blood.
6. Iowa State @ Auburn
Iowa State can only get blown out so many times and stay in the NIT. It’s a large number, but still—gotta play good teams close sometimes.
Auburn, of course, has made a dramatic push in recent days for NIT relevancy, losing by a combined 41 to Alabama and Florida on the road, but it looks better to the eye than it does on paper, especially in January. They’ve got a lot of work to do if they want to pull off one of the greatest comebacks for an NIT bid in recent memory.
5. Tennessee @ Kansas
This is a risky game for Tennessee, playing a very good résumé on the road while that team adjusts to a different roster. The Vol’s have been playing good basketball lately. Too good. Hope they don’t try anything fancy today—for their own sake.
4. TCU @ Arkansas
TCU is building an NIT dynasty under Jamie Dixon, but today’s matchup includes a real risk against an Arkansas team looking to make an NIT statement. Who will blink?
3. LSU @ Texas
If Texas gets stomped at home, they will likely not be in Monday’s NIT Bracketology.
That’s looking very possible.
They’re banged up, and have been playing badly to begin with, following a good fight with Kansas (not the literal kind this time) with a disaster in Morgantown, so hold on tight.
If they do win, look out, because Texas might be back. And LSU, for its part, will keep its own faint NIT hopes that much more lively.
2. Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M
The Pokes aren’t dead yet, and road victories are never a bad thing in an NIT push (until they are, in fact, a bad thing). Yes, the Aggies are out of the picture themselves, but OK State is very much still in this thing, recent swoon and all.
1. Mississippi State @ Oklahoma
Two bubble teams looking for mediocre losses. An opportunity for a mediocre loss for each. This is what the NIT is made of.
