If I know one thing about Virginia Tech, it’s that the Enter Sandman entrance is much cooler in person and ESPN fails to capture it despite valiant efforts (Had I not needed to drive back towards Roanoke after that game, I definitely would have confused the helicopters for seraphim).
But on the basketball court, I guess that one thing would be that they can surprise you? I don’t know. I didn’t think this through.
The Hokies made like an acorn before a steamroller yesterday in their hosting of Penn State, getting pulverized into so fine a dust as to not even really mess up the asphalt into which they were inadvertently mixed. They missed threes. They missed free throws. They turned the ball over. They played startlingly little defense. It was as beautiful a performance as we’ve seen, and we’re happy to welcome the Hokies back within our horizons.
Other notes of note:
- Miami came back and beat Purdue, but—spin zone—maybe that was the right move for the NIT aspirants. Instead of giving a certain committee the “well, they were banged up” argument to justify a loss, they just won the game, saving that loss for later when they really want it.
- As expected, Rutgers beat Syracuse comfortably despite a late scare. That felt fun to write.
- Sleeper NIT pick Illinois did not like being a sleeper NIT pick.
- Minnesota may have learned their lesson. Last year, the Gophers struggled to get to .500, leaving many in the NIT community to write off their chances. This year, they’re 5-0 after last night’s overtime triumph over Boston College, and they’ve done the perfect amount of beating bad teams by small margins. We love to see generational improvement, and we’re seeing it out of the younger Pitino.
- Speaking of Pitino’s, Iona was run out of the gym yesterday by Morgan State. Which isn’t NIT-relevant, but is still NIT-fun.
- Tennessee beat Colorado. Bummer for the Vols. Nice “missed chance” for the Buffs, though. We know what you’re up to.
- Today, we get Xavier puffing their projected NIT one-seed (if you missed our NIT Bracketology update, there it is) chest as they host an Oklahoma team that is staring down doom in Big 12 play in the form of the five-headed monster led by Shaka Smart’s Texas Longhorns. Intrigue.
- Before that, we get a thriller across town, with fellow NIT hopefuls Furman and Cincinnati waltzing the waltz.
- And while that’s going on, back over in the Big 12 TCU hosts Providence in a game that feels like it’s happened a thousand times. Why does this game feel like it’s always happening? Has it happened before? What’s going on here in my head?
- Northern Iowa visits Richmond, and to be honest we aren’t really sure what to make of either but we think both might be NIT-bound, so we’re excited for them.
- Georgia Tech visits Nebraska fresh off Josh Pastner reminding us he has some tricks up that sleeve of his. Probably a loose sleeve. Guy seems like he wears big, loose sleeves.
- Pitt takes on Northwestern, and that feels a lot less like a recipe for someone from Northwestern getting decapitated than it would’ve in the good old days. On a serious (!!) note, Northwestern could really use that win for their NIT dreams.
- Boise State plays BYU while some college football blogger wakes up feeling all tingly in the nethers.
- Mizzou hosts Liberty and I don’t know it just feels like Liberty’s a factor in everything these days. We can’t get rid of them.
- Rhode Island visits Wisconsin. The Rams (why do I want them to be the Owls?) of URInation are trying to play the good résumé, mediocre team card and avoid us come March. Haters.
- Pepperdine’s favored against Cal, who is the perfect team to play if you want to trick an NIT Selection Committee into thinking that you, a scuffling mid-major, are good. Forget beating Toledo. Go beat Cal.
- But speaking of Toledo, they do play at Michigan, with the twain trying to combine to make an NIT statement. Michigan’s out of the picture. Toledo’s only viable-looking path is an auto-bid. That’s why they need a statement.
