The first round of the Virtual NIT happened last night, and if you missed it, I’ll tell you what—it was moderately fun.
If you didn’t miss it, you can skip over this next part, unless you just want your memory jogged. Just gonna recap the games. After that there’s a preview of the second round, though, so you might want to read that part. I even got the spreads from Joe.
What Happened Last Night
1. Rhode Island 87, 8. Siena 62
We’ll start with the Rhode Island region, because its games started first. URI rolled through this one without much of a hiccup. A little close in the first half, but really pulled away in the second.
4. Tennessee 59, 5. Syracuse 53
A slow start here—only 22-17 at the half. Tennessee never built a comfortable lead, but they always stayed at least three points ahead, rolling under the radar through to the second round.
6. Georgia 79, 3. St. John’s 66
Georgia’s win was closer than the final score indicates, but still not exceptionally close. Anthony Edwards put on quite the show, and now Tom Crean’s in a great spot, because…
7. Colgate 76, 2. Rutgers 75
…Colgate beat Rutgers at the buzzer. In what was probably the best game of the first round, Jordan Burns answered a last-minute three from Ron Harper with a contested layup at the buzzer. Thrilling.
8. North Carolina Central 67, 1. Richmond 64
Hopping down and across the bracket now to the Richmond region, where down came the rain and washed the top seed out. Not only were the Spiders a large (18 points, maybe?) favorite—they led by eight with just over nine minutes left. It was a wild night all around, but this was certainly the biggest surprise.
4. North Carolina State 83, 5. South Carolina 73
NC State put up 51 in the first half of this alone. Would’ve been fun to watch on a real court. But at the same time, had it happened on a real court, they might not have scored with such rapidity. It’s possible, but we just don’t know.
3. Mississippi State 72, 6. Arkansas-Little Rock 55
The Sun Belt champions held on for a while, but Starkville was just too much in the end.
2. Northern Iowa 109, 7. Wright State 50
No prisoners (more on this one in the second round preview).
8. Radford 82, 1. Alabama 77
Two coaches. Two NIT’s. Two number one seeds. Two losses.
It’s been a rough pair of season-endings in Tuscaloosa lately. It doesn’t seem to matter who’s coaching the team, or what style they play, or which school from southern Virginia they host. They lose. It’s what (each of the last two years) they do. The big question now is whether the championship window’s still open.
5. Clemson 72, 4. Furman 66
This game didn’t get as much attention as those surrounding it, but as so many NIT games are, it was a classic in its own way. Great crowd. Dramatic twists and turns. Big brother won, but it’s hard to say this isn’t a rivalry after a game like last night’s.
3. UConn 73, 6. UCLA 54
UCLA fought hard to tie this with nine minutes left, in something of a microcosm of Mick Cronin’s first year at the helm. It ended disastrously, also in something of a microcosm of Mick Cronin’s first year at the helm.
2. Texas 80, 7. Stephen F. Austin 67
We were ready for this to be a wild one. But while Stephen F. Austin did convince Texas to play an uncharacteristically fast pace, they ended up being the ones unable to keep up, as hot shooting from the ‘Horns propelled the universe one step closer to a repeat.
1. Texas Tech 62, 8. Prairie View A&M 60
Goodness. This one was close. Prairie View A&M should, of course, be holding its head higher than high after the performance. Texas Tech was the top overall seed in the NIT for a reason. And that reason was not just its fourteen losses (one simulated).
4. Minnesota 83, 5. Notre Dame 69
We love Mike Brey as much as the next blog (provided the next blog loves Mike Brey). Sadly for his virtual self, the Irish didn’t get things done last night. Happily for those of us looking for opportunities to make Pitino jokes, Minnesota did get things done last night.
6. Tulsa 78, 3, Oklahoma State 66
After hearing so much about how strong Tulsa’s defense has been this year, it was intriguing to see their offense step up in such a big spot. With a favorable second game upcoming, those who called the Golden Hurricane a Final Four sleeper are looking smarter by the day.
7. Eastern Washington 64, 2. Stanford 59
Tough night for the Pac-12. Eastern Washington came to play.
What’s to Come
The second round, which tips in about three hours, should be a doozy. A few of the things I’m watching for? Whether Northern Iowa’s tour of destruction continues; whether the defending champions can handle a very talented UConn team; who wins the Texas Tech/Minnesota showdown some are calling a matchup of the tournament’s two best teams; whether one or more of the low-majors can keep their respective Cinderella run alive; whether I lose any followers from live-tweeting an NIT simulation too aggressively; whether I get approved to drive Uber Eats now that the rideshare market’s in the tank; how quickly COVID-19 testing can mobilize in the United States; when disinfectant wipes will return to the shelves of grocery stores in my area; whether the finches build a nest on my balcony or not; and much, much more.
Tonight’s Lines
Courtesy of Joe Stunardi
8:00 PM EDT – 4. Tennessee @ 1. Rhode Island (-3.5)
8:00 PM EDT – 8. North Carolina Central @ 4. North Carolina State (-18.5)
8:30 PM EDT – 8. Radford @ 5. Clemson (-11.5)
8:30 PM EDT – 7. Colgate @ 6. Georgia (-5.5)
9:00 PM EDT – 3. Mississippi State @ 2. Northern Iowa (-4)
9:00 PM EDT – 7. Eastern Washington @ 6. Tulsa (-7.5)
9:30 PM EDT – 3. UConn @ 2. Texas (-3)
9:30 PM EDT – 4. Minnesota @ 1. Texas Tech (-6)
