Look. We would love to have Virginia back in the NIT. The handsomeness factor would skyrocket with Tony Bennett on the sidelines. They might hold a team under 30 points in the first round. There’s probably a good share of Virginia alumni in New York (which matters if the vaccine gets us full—relative term—Final Four attendance).
But they aren’t there yet. The San Francisco loss will hardly be a Third Quadrant one, if that. They’re still on the front end of the ACC bell curve. We can keep an eye on them, sure, but they need to do more to prove to us they’re serious NIT contenders. Can’t just lead us on like last year.
Other NIT notes:
- While we’re on the topic of UVA, Kent State’s Danny Pippen, who hit the shot to send last night’s game to overtime, has a sad but inspiring story. Kent State isn’t in the NIT picture right now, even as an automatic bid (expected to be middle of the MAC), but worth sharing. Perspective and all that.
- Seton Hall continues to look the part, losing routinely and comfortably to Oregon last night in Omaha.
- With Baylor scheduled to play Gonzaga today, worth noting that the two have never met in an NIT.
- SMU visits Dayton for a big-time NIT showdown. We’ve already called a game a possible NIT Championship preview this week, so let’s call this a possible NIT Final Four preview. Two true mid-majors, both solid, playing a nonconference non-neutral site game in December in an empty gym. Exactly what we want to see.
- South Carolina’s in a tricky spot, having lost that opener to Liberty. They should be fine to reach .500 overall, given that the SEC offers some bad opponents (Vanderbilt, Georgia, Mississippi State, possibly Auburn, possibly Texas A&M), but there’s the temptation to try to beat Houston today. Overall, the Cocks are probably safely enough in the field at this point (as far as one can be safe in a field as narrow as that of the NIT more than three months out) to get the people excited and make their case for an eventual one seed. So go ahead, Frank Martin. Try to beat Houston. We don’t think you can do it, but would be kind of cool if you did. Also could open up some helpful transitive property options for us down the line.
- Neither BYU nor Utah State is in good shape to make the NIT right now, which makes tonight’s affair in Logan exhilarating. The pressure is on to get a statement win, and barring a coronavirus cancelation, one of them has to get it. That’s how this works. One team wins. The other loses. We are guaranteed a statement win. Except, again, if the coronavirus rears its spiky lil head.
