With NIT fever growing (really, we have ways to measure this!) across the country, we’re getting right to business today. Lesser matters to follow.
NIT or NOT? Michigan
Ha! Ha ha! Ha ha ha! Michigan lost to Rutgers, guys. Rutgers is undefeated in the Big Ten when playing at home. They’ve also lost to Lafayette at home. Rutgers is a cosmic joke. Not a joke on the basketball court, mind you (unless they play Lafayette), but a cosmic joke. Rutgers could also end the weekend in first in the Big Ten (I don’t think this is actually true). Anyway, this isn’t about Rutgers, Rutgers remains off our radar. This is about Michigan, and no, they aren’t at risk of making the NIT. They will fall past it, if anything, but they have plenty of winnable Big Ten games remaining, against teams like…well, Rutgers, I suppose.
NIT or NOT? Florida State
Road losses to NIT-quality teams (Wake Forest, in this case) normally don’t spell descent into the NIT, but if you lose by 22…Leonard Hamilton, we would love to be in the same room as you. Your mystique has long fascinated us, among so many others. You’re like a candle. How do they make those things smell so good? I bet you smell like one of those tobacco-scented ones at Target. And make the whole press conference feel that way, too.
Virginia Update
Plot twist! This is a Clemson update. Virginia beat the Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum last night, and in so doing made a strong NIT favorite case for…their opponent? Remember, kids: We’ve had our eye on Clemson. They’re a contender. Home losses to mediocre teams are an unequivocal good (disclaimer: nothing is absolute) when you’re an NIT contender. Hard to miss the NIT with a few more like this.
On the Virginia side, yeah, this helps keep them above the CBI line, I’d think.
NITe Train: Arkansas
What a loss. Vanderbilt! Vanderbilt!!!
We are ready for the Muss Bus. Hit us. I’m the one waving the “hit it here” sign. Like those ones they used for Slammin’ Sammy. Except you’re a metaphorical bus. And I’m an NIT blogger. Standing in front of you asking you to dominate my favorite tournament.
NIT or NOT? Virginia Tech
Goodness balls there were a lot of bad losses last night. Also a bad win. But we aren’t talking about Memphis today. Or Texas A&M. Or those bastards at Eastern Kentucky (just kidding we love us a good Colonel but also not kidding we will not talk EKU in these notes). Virginia Tech lost at home to NC State??? I mean, statement after statement made last night, folks. And the biggest one? The ACC’s dream of putting 14 teams in the NIT isn’t actually alive, but is close enough to life that I’m going to call it alive.
Angels Stir in Milwaukee
The ghosts of glories past blinked themselves awake last night as Marquette, coached by reigning 32-team NIT champion Shaka Smart, polished off Providence like a steamroller polishes off the line of nutcrackers I throw in front of it while it widens the expressway, all the while screaming, “BE GONE, HATERS!” Anyway, yes, Marquette’s in the NIT picture. Providence is in the NIT picture. The NIT picture is crowded. So, so crowded.
Game of the NITe
UNC goes to Notre Dame tonight, possibly missing Dawson Garcia, which could provoke some smallball from the Tar Heels, which could provoke a three-point shooting epic on both ends of the floor. Nobody said games of NIT consequence had to be ugly. We sometimes prefer that, but throwing in one like this is good for the digestive system. Keep its head on a swivel. That’s why I sometimes put the parmesan from the back of the fridge on my tortellini. So far, so good!
Underrated subplot tonight is that Brady Manek’s playing in the state of Indiana. ESPN2 better not be using HD tonight. We want the Larry Bird wormhole to open. We really want the Larry Bird wormhole to open.
Come On, Longhorn Media
Chris Beard fought a straw man last night and I’m pinning it on the media. Bevo’s Fake Nuts spent some time today handing out asterisks.
Josh Pastner
Ok, we’ve held off too long. Josh Pastner doesn’t want to die.
Seriously.
He said so.
While wearing his facemask in a press conference.
Credit to Lauren Brownlow for the frontline reporting, but the highlights were Josh Pastner getting to a point in his press conference in which he was so off the rails he said, “I never want to die,” explaining that he wanted to surprise Coach K with former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins on the bench (Georgia Tech played Duke last night), and leaving the room saying he wants to get “a good NIL deal” on his face shield.
Josh Pastner, please get your team to figure it out enough to come play with us this spring. We need as much of you as we can get.
Fargo Had a Great Birthday
Thank you to all who joined us in celebrating the puppy’s birthday yesterday. She had a great day. Even better than normal. Capped off by her finding the perfect stick four and a half blocks from our house on her evening amble, picking it up, and hightailing it home to chew it to bits on our bed. Still finding pieces of that thing. Happy, happy puppy, slowly growing into a happy, happy dog.
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Tonight’s viewing schedule: VCU visits Dayton in the early slot, but I’ve got DePaul’s trip to St. John’s circled instead. If St. John’s is going to make an NIT push, they need this one. Tip’s at 5:30 PM Texas Time on FS1. Game of the NITe’s at 8:00 PM Texas Time on ESPN2. Nothing in the late slot, it doesn’t appear. When was the last time a WCC team played a game? Holy butts it was actually last week. What the hell? I knew they should’ve recalled Newsom.
