It’s that time of the day again.
Morning (in Austin, not in Eastern Time unless you’re holding out on Daylight Savings).
And that means NIT-impacting basketball’s on its way.
Behold, today’s biggest games:
Hofstra vs. Drexel (12:00 PM Eastern)
Hofstra locks up an NIT berth with a loss. It’s that simple. Lose, and you get to hang out with us for at least another week and a half. Come on, Hofstra. Be cool.
Memphis @ Houston (12:00 PM Eastern)
Memphis is pretty thickly in the NIT, but a road victory could change that. It could also have the effect, though, of getting them on the one-seed line in the eventual bracket (hey, here’s our Bracketology!). We’ll see how they approach it, and whether Houston even gives them a choice.
Nebraska @ Minnesota (1:00 PM Eastern)
Minnesota may provide us an answer to the “Can a team make the NIT with a sub-.500 overall record?” question if they can win their next two, both of which are games in which they should be significant favorites. If they do that, then lose in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, they’ll finish at 15-17, and we’ll all learn a lot about the NIT. And what makes one fall more deeply in love than learning one’s lover more intimately? Thanks in advance to Richard Pitino for yet another key to the grand, intricate puzzle that is the NIT’s heart.
Lafayette @ Colgate (2:00 PM Eastern)
It’s not especially likely, but if Colgate loses, they’re coming with us (they’ll have another chance if they don’t lose, by the way).
Lipscomb @ Liberty (3:00 PM Eastern)
See: Colgate, but amplify the unlikeliness. And no more second chances.
UConn @ Tulane (4:00 PM Eastern)
UConn’s pointed in the right direction, but they don’t have much room for error. Would do well to not only win, but to also impress a committee that’s watching closely.
Tulsa @ Wichita State (4:00 PM Eastern)
Wichita State’s NIT hopes aren’t dead yet. Tulsa’s are very much alive, and they’d even be in line for an automatic bid if they win this (not to mention a high seed). What fun. Look for a lot of winking between Gregg Marshall and Frank Haith.
East Tennessee State vs. Western Carolina (4:00 PM Eastern)
The final potential automatic bid to play today, ETSU isn’t guaranteed to fall into the NIT with a loss. They also aren’t guaranteed to miss the NIT with a win.
Better make it ugly, fellas.
But don’t feel too much pressure.
