The NIT is technically a comfort event, nevertheless it has routinely offered a number of the most thrilling school basketball round in recent times. This season, the boys’s Nationwide Invitational Event once more includes a terrific area of groups who simply missed out on the NCAA event. There aren’t any simple outs amongst any of the 32 groups within the bracket.
The NIT options residence video games on school campuses by means of the primary three rounds. The event then strikes to Madison Sq. Backyard for the semifinals on March 29 and championship on March 31. Profitable the NIT is traditionally a robust signal for a program’s possibilities subsequent 12 months, and this 12 months’s area options a number of the greatest names within the sport.
Virginia, Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas A&M are just some of the applications with massive budgets and huge fanbases on this 12 months’s event. So who can be chopping down the nets? Listed below are our picks.
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Higher left area
Dayton is without doubt one of the brightest younger groups within the nation to not make the NCAA event. The Flyers begin 4 freshmen and simply misplaced a heartbreaker to Richmond within the A-10 semifinals. We’ll take them over Toledo within the opener. On the opposite aspect of the bracket is the battle of Nashville: Vanderbilt vs. Belmont. The Bruins shoot 61 p.c from two-point vary, which is the very best mark within the nation. We’ll predict they pull off the hometown upset. We’ll take Dayton over Belmont within the second spherical.
Florida — now with out head coach Mike White, who has accepted the Georgia job — faces an enchanting first spherical matchup towards Rick Pitino and Iona. Pitino’s group misplaced by just one level to Rider in MAAC event. We predict they’ll pull the upset over the Gators. We’ll take Xavier over Cleveland State, after which decide the Musketeers to beat Iona.
We’ll take Xavier over Dayton to achieve the Closing 4 of the NIT.
Backside left area
Oklahoma is the very best rated group in KenPom’s effectivity rankings to overlook the NCAA event. The Sooners completed simply 18-15 in head coach Porter Moser’s first 12 months, however there’s loads of expertise right here led by guard Jordan Goldwire and heart Tanner Groves. We’ll take Oklahoma over Missouri State, establishing a matchup with Colorado, who we’ll decide to defeat Saint Bonaventure. Give me the Buffs over Oklahoma within the second spherical.
We’ll decide Virginia to beat Mississippi State on the underside half of the bracket, after which go together with Texas State over North Texas. UVA will beat Texas State to arrange a matchup with Colorado.
Did you actually assume we’d decide towards Tony Bennett? The Hoos are our decide to make the Closing 4 within the NIT.
High proper area
SMU misplaced a heartbreaker to Memphis within the AAC event and didn’t get an at-large bid regardless of ending 23-8 general and 13-4 in convention. With a star guard in senior Kendric Davis, the Mustangs ought to advance simply previous Nicholls of their first sport. We’ll take Washington State — powered by an extended, athletic, and younger entrance line of Efe Abogidi and Mouhamed Gueye — over Santa Clara. SMU over Wazzu within the second spherical.
Saint Louis has a superb level guard in Yuri Collins — who’s No. 3 within the nation in help price. The Billikens ought to have sufficient to get previous MVC star A.J. Inexperienced and Northern Iowa. We’ll take BYU over Lengthy Seashore State, after which anticipate Saint Louis to knock off BYU.
Give me SMU over Saint Louis to achieve the Closing 4. The Ponies simply have a lot expertise with 5 senior starters and may have sufficient perimeter protection to advance to MSG.
Backside proper area
Texas A&M deserved a spot within the massive dance after an unimaginable run to the SEC event title sport. As an alternative, the Aggies are an NIT power that ought to advance previous Alcorn simply. We’ll take Oregon over host Utah State even with out star guard Will Richardson. Geese heart N’Faly Dante ought to be a giant drawback for Texas A&M’s entrance line, however 6’8 heart Henry Coleman poses his personal matchup issues. We’ll go together with Texas A&M within the second spherical assembly.
We’ll take VCU over Ivy League common season champ Princeton, and Wake Forest over Towson. That units up a star showdown between Wake’s Alondes Williams and VCU’s Vince Williams. Wake’s excellent offense vs. VCU’s elite protection ought to be an awesome matchup. We predict the Demon Deacons have extra firepower on the supporting forged, led by 6’8 ahead Jake LaRavia, so give us Wake Forest in that matchup.
We’ll take Wake Forest over Texas A&M to achieve the Closing 4.
NIT Closing 4
Xavier vs. Virginia. SMU vs. Wake Forest.
Xavier has misplaced six of their final seven video games getting into the NIT, however a star guard like Paul Scruggs and a dependable 7-footer like Jack Nudge is the kind of basis that may appropriate itself rapidly. We’ll take the Musketeers over UVA and into the title sport.
Can SMU’s protection cease Wake’s highly effective offense within the different semifinal? We aren’t relying on it. Put Wake into the title sport.
We’ll decide Wake Forest to win the entire thing with a championship sport victory over Xavier. The 1-2 punch of Williams and LaRavia is extraordinarily tough for matchup with, and the Deacons have sufficient round their two stars to win 5 straight video games within the NIT.
Wake Forest is our prediction to be NIT champion.
