The referred clicks from team forums are starting to roll in, so welcome to all the Northern Iowa fans waiting to see who you might play in the NIT’s opening round. What a time to be alive. Please check back every day. The picture changes rapidly.
Last NITe
We got a couple automatic bids. Towson joined us. Cleveland State joined us. Chattanooga nearly joined us, but fate got in the way. Sometimes fate’s cruel like that. Do we tolerate too much from fate? Should we kill fate? No SoCon teams this year.
On the at-large side, Santa Clara lost to Saint Mary’s, putting them right smack dab on the bubble, next to Missouri State and Drake among those waiting to see how this will all play out. Long week for all of them. At least Missouri State and Drake are in scenic locales where you can go on walks and stuff.
ToNITe
The NIT festivities kick off this afternoon, with NC State trying to finish Clemson’s at-large hopes. That game’s at 4:30 PM EST on ACC Network, and it only accelerates from there. At 5:00, Jacksonville visits Bellarmine at Freedom Hall in a game that will decide if Jacksonville State will go to the NIT (the confusion here makes it our Game of the NITe, hands down). That one’s on ESPN2. At 7:00, also on ESPN2, Bryant tries to nab an automatic bid, hosting Wagner. At 9:00, we get a classic FCS powerhouse clash as North Dakota State tries to send their southern brothers (we’re talking about South Dakota State here, in case I didn’t leave enough context clues) our way. Again, ESPN2. Big night for ESPN2.
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Beyond that, not a whole lot going on. I mean, that’s a lot, but it isn’t a whole lot. The whole lot really ramps up tomorrow with the ACC second round. The Senators play tonight, in St. Louis at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN+, so we’ll keep a screen on that, but it’s an auto-bid evening, with Clemson trying to win by 100 to make an NIT case as the appetizer. They could do it, guys. Don’t sleep on how bad NC State is this year.
I highly doubt you’re accurate on the SoCon if using KenPom as your ultimate barometer…If you use that, Furman is easily in the field…We shall see…Furman would roast NC State…If they get in the whole thing is a joke…This isn’t really based on the best 100 teams in the country. But you know the committee has to placate the SoCon the NCAA Tournament because that league, which ranks better than most mid-majors you have with multiple bids…Furman is ranked higher in the NET than Drake…
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings
and is the highest ranked team in the state of South Carolina, yet you have both Clemson and SC in…What a joke these power conference tournaments are.
1. Nobody said NC State could make the NIT. We said they could finish off Clemson’s chances.
2. We don’t have Clemson in the projected field.
3. The team sheets do include NET and KenPom, but they also include KPI, SOR, and a number of other variables.
4. Why would the committee placate the SoCon, in particular? Can’t placate everyone. Easier to just put in the teams with the best résumés.
5. Furman got to play Mercer and Samford in its conference tournament so I’m not sure why the power conference tournaments are the joke.