Projected NIT Bracket – 2/26/2012

This is the latest projected NIT bracket I have through Sunday’s results. Once again I used Jerry Palm’s projected NCAA field to figure out the at-large bids and determine where I was going with the NIT bracket. Thus if you’re wondering who to complain to about your team being in the NCAA field or the NIT talk to him. Miami (FL) and USF both scored big wins on Sunday that pushed them up near the top of the bracket. Also, my seed scrubbing was done using CBS’ team comparison feature, which made this much easier to do. I expect that there will be a ton of conference tournament upsets, so if you’re a seven or eight seed there is still work to do.

Projected NIT Tournament:

1. Miami (FL)
8. TCU
4. Dayton
5. New Mexico State
3. North Carolina St.
6. Iowa
2. LSU
7. WAGNER

1. South Florida
8. Wyoming
4. Minnesota
5. Stanford
3. George Mason
6. Ohio
2. Marshall
7. Pittsburgh

Please note: La Salle was originally a seven seed, but due to a conflict that would’ve resulted in an Illinois-Iowa first round game was switched to a seven seed and Iowa moved up to a six. There are about a dozen teams you could take for the final four spots depending on what your personal preference is. It probably won’t matter.

Potential CBI/CIT teams in RPI order: Loyola (MD), Penn, Yale, Princeton, St. Bonaventure, Maryland, Montana, Lehigh, Duquesne, Kent State, Charleston, Missouri State, Old Dominion, Loyola Marymount, Milwaukee, UCSB, Butler, Oklahoma, Robert Morris, Mercer, Tennessee State, Richmond, Fairfield, Illinois State, SC Upstate, Indiana State and many more!

Also note: Virginia Tech would be in the CBI list, but the Hokies have already said they’ll decline an invite. On the other hand, it sounds like UCLA and Villanova might be open to such an invite. Such is the drama of those tournaments and the reason I’ll be tracking all the invites up to and through Selection Sunday.