As unpredictable as the NCAA Tournament often has been and is even more so this year, the NIT has long been even more unpredictable. There are a variety of reasons for this, not the least of which is that there are some teams just happy to be there, some who really want to win, and some who are disappointed to be there.
We saw a little of each on Tuesday night as the first two teams won to advance to New York, and in two contrasting games to boot.
The first game was the close one, with Penn State traveling to Marquette. While all four teams would rather be in the NCAA Tournament, both of these teams appeared to be penciled into the NIT well before Championship Week, though Penn State’s win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament got some talk going about their candidacy. Marquette showed potential all year, but could never sustain their play long enough to get the wins they needed.
Penn State gradually built up a double-digit lead, at one point as high as 14 points. The Golden Eagles were good from long range on the night, especially senior Andrew Rowsey (29 points, eight assists), and they would get as close as four with under three minutes left before the Nittany Lions held them off for an 85-80 win. Lamar Stevens led the way late, as he did all game, getting key baskets to close out a 30-point night, tying a career high.
Their opponent will be a Mississippi State team that can likewise use this as a springboard for next season. Both Penn State and Mississippi State should have a lot of current players back, which means in theory they will be well-positioned to play in a different postseason tournament next year. The Bulldogs traveled to Louisville, a team that many felt would be a national championship contender at this time last year and probably wasn’t very excited about being in the NIT. But the Cardinals had won two games to get to this point.
Mississippi State blitzed the Cardinals with a big first half, then kept it up in the second half to run away from the Cardinals 79-56 behind another big double-double by Quinndary Weatherspoon (19 points, 14 rebounds). This was never really a ballgame, which is shocking considering the Bulldogs were on the road in a building where visiting teams don’t often win. The Bulldogs shot 47.7 percent from the field and held the Cardinals to 35 percent, and the Bulldogs won the possession battle as well.
Mississippi State will have a lot returning next year, so this could be a nice building block, while Louisville now enters an unsettled situation. The big question is whether or not they remove the “interim” label from David Padgett or led him go elsewhere as they hire someone else.
Side Dishes
In news that shocks no one, Texas big man Mohamed Bamba declared for the NBA Draft and will hire an agent. The talented 7-footer averaged a double-double (12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds per game) and was second in the nation in blocked shots at 3.7 per game. He was always expected to be in Austin for just one year, and he closed out with a fine effort of 13 points and 14 rebounds in a tough loss to Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
A fellow Big 12 talent will test the NBA Draft waters, Iowa State guard Lindell Wigginton. The freshman had a strong season for the Cyclones as one of the top scorers among freshmen in the Power 5 and was fifth in the Big 12 in scoring. He does not intend to hire an agent, but is thought to have a chance to earn an invite to the NBA combine.
If Danjel Purifoy returns to Auburn next year, he will be eligible after the first 30 percent of the 2018-19 season, according to an NCAA ruling. The 6’7″ forward sat out the entire 2017-18 season due to eligibility concerns stemming from the FBI investigation of corruption, which saw Auburn assistant Chuck Person being one of ten people arrested in September.
Tonight’s Menu
The final two spots in New York for the NIT will be determined tonight, and the other two tournaments have some action as well.
- In the first NIT quarterfinal of the night, Oklahoma State hosts Western Kentucky (8 p.m.), then Saint Mary’s, the lone top seed remaining, hosts Utah in the nightcap (10 p.m.)
- The CBI has semifinal action with Jacksonville State traveling to North Texas (8 p.m.)
- In quarterfinal action in the CIT, Austin Peay hosts UIC (8 p.m.) and San Diego hosts Northern Colorado (10 p.m.)
