Instant NIT Reaction

Two and a half months of bracketing for this. I got 27 of 32 teams correct. All of the teams that made it were in my last 10 out, but still. It was really tough to figure out the bubble this season. The committee had a lot of different options and it decided to go the direction of taking some West Coast teams that it thought could move tickets. Overall I think they did a blah job. I have lot of arguments with what they ultimately came up with. The brackets start soon!

I can’t believe the treatment the Missouri Valley got from the committee. If there’s any league that has a big beef it has to be them. Also, Robert Morris is probably the biggest winner in this entire thing. The Colonials get Kentucky at home! Andy Toole got to go on ESPNU. This is great for the NEC. I’ll have to sort this madness out.

I understand most of what happened. Three of my four final teams into the bracket missed. Xavier, LSU and Northern Iowa gave way to BYU, Denver, Ohio or something like that. What I can’t understand is how Air Force and Arkansas got left out of the NIT. After the bracket was announced the committee chair C.M. Newton noted that the Falcons were “really really close” to Andy Katz. It’s ridiculous that they didn’t make it. The Razorbacks had one big problem in their resume – all of their wins came at home – apparently that was enough to convince the committee to leave them out entirely. How that happened is befuddling. Arkansas has as many Top 50 and Top 100 wins as anyone in the field. Yes, they came at home, but at least they played those teams. Who the heck did BYU beat to get a 3 seed? Nobody. But BYU can bring a huge number of fans to an arena. They probably were happy to host. Good for them.

A frustrating hour or so there. The MVC teams will look to pick up the pieces. I’d expect Evansville is accepting its conditional CIT bid at the moment. I have no idea what Northern Iowa will do. The same goes for Air Force. Will the Falcons keep playing? They should’ve been in this bracket.

Here’s the official NIT bracket. I’ll take time to grade all of the bracketologists tomorrow night (news flash: D1scourse is going to win). I’ll also still be updating the CIT and CBI brackets as more information comes out about them.

Official NIT Bracket:

1. Kentucky
8. Robert Morris
4. Providence
5. Charlotte
3. Arizona State
6. Detroit
2. Baylor
7. Long Beach St.

1. Southern Miss
8. Charleston Southern
4. Florida St.
5. Louisiana Tech
3. BYU
6. Washington
2. Tennessee
7. Mercer

1. Alabama
8. Northeastern
4. Stanford
5. Stephen F. Austin
3. Denver
6. Ohio
2. Maryland
7. Niagara

1. Virginia
8. Norfolk St.
4. St. Joseph’s
5. St. John’s
3. Iowa
6. Indiana St.
2. Massachusetts
7. Stony Brook