NIT bracket and schedule 2013: Stanford, Alabama play for spot in quarterfinals

The 2013 NIT Tournament is in a brief lull Saturday, with just one game on the schedule between the No. 4 Stanford Cardinal and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Stanford and Alabama will play for the right to face the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins in the quarterfinals next week.

Alabama defeated Northeastern, 62-43, in the opening round of the NIT. The Crimson Tide are led by their two Trevors -- Trevor Releford, at 15.4 points per game, and Trevor Lacey, at 11.7 points and 3.1 assists per game -- and will look to use their turnover-creating style of basketball to wear down the Cardinal.

Stanford, which defeated Stephen F. Austin by one point in the first round, comes into the game with little in the way of momentum. Before squeaking by the Lumberjacks, they lost in overtime to Arizona State in their Pac-12 tournament opener. The team then closed the regular season with five losses in its last nine games. Stanford led by the duo of Dwight Powell and Chasson Randle, who combine for just less than 30 points a game.