NIT

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mcdadenets50 said:

I still think that the brackets are made up as the tournament progresses. The NIT has "empty" brackets that they fill in as they see who is still alive after each round. It's all about making money. Matchups are made after each round to find the most attractive games that will sell tickets. Those links show the bracket once last year's tourney was completed and an empty bracket for dates only. If I'm wrong I'm wrong.

You are wrong. They made this move to a bracket format a few years ago. I'm trying to find an archived news story for verification.

But anyway, why would they post a bracket at all then? And if you look at last year's bracket, it's a clean bracket with continuity from round to round ... if the tournament wasn't in bracket format, teams would be jumping all over the place to match up.

More bracket proof, last year's brackets prior to the start of play:

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/nit/brackets/top

www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/nit/brackets/bottom

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mcdadenets50 said:

won't be playing Northwestern as the Wildcats must win 2 games in the Big Ten tourney to finish at least .500. All teams in the NIT must be at .500. Northwestern will not make it.

You're right about Northwestern. For some reason I thought they had a better record.

But I also forgot about Iowa ... that could be a strong possibility as well. Another slightly interesting matchup.

Others could be Saint Louis, IUPUI (going up against former UWM assistant Ron Turner), Creighton, Wichita State, Austin Peay, Xavier, Iowa State or Missouri ... just looking at it from a regional aspect.

[nohopspanther]

MU is in the NIT by virtue of losing to the now 12-16 TCU Horned Frogs for the second time this year. Crocodile for Tommy Boy.