The NIT is off to a great start thus far. With a couple of early upset and some of the tournament’s top-seeded teams looking good in the opening round of play, the weekend portion promises to be exciting.
2013 NIT Tournament schedule and bracket: Baylor faces Arizona St. on Friday
Previewing all of Friday’s action at the NIT. One matchup will pit two teams that just missed the NCAA Tournament against each other.
Jeff Gross
On Friday, there are two games on the slate. Let’s take a look at them.
No. 2 Baylor vs. No. 3 Arizona State, 8 p.m. ET
The first game of the night will pit two teams that fell just short of the NCAA Tournament against each other. The Baylor Bears were a pretty big disappointment in 2012-13 after making a run last season, but they still have the talent to make a run this March.
As for the Sun Devils, they looked primed for the Big Dance a month ago. A rough finish to the Pac-12 season cost them a bid, though. Look for freshmen sensation Jahii Carson to have a big game. ASU made quick work of Detroit on Thursday night. ESPN2 will televise the action.
No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 7 Stony Brook, 9:30 p.m. ET
The Iowa Hawkeyes are another team that found themselves on the wrong side of the bubble on Selection Sunday. Despite racking up a couple of big wins in the Big Ten, the committee did not feel they were one of the top 68 teams in the nation. Iowa made quick work of Indiana State in the opening round of the NIT.
Stony Brook knocked off Massachusetts in their first tournament game. They will be a pretty heavy underdog on the road, although this team has shown they aren't afraid of a hostile environment. If the Seawolves hope to win again, they'll need another strong performance from Anthony Jackson and Dave Coley, who both had 20 points against UMass. This game will be on ESPNU.
You can find the full bracket here.
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