Who are the best teams left in the NIT?

     My heart always says Alabama. But what does the head say?  So how do you look at the remaining teams. Do you look at them by conference or just the team? The three teams that catch my attention are Alabama,, Colorado and Wichita State. I have to admit that I've missed a couple of games on the tube, but it has been those three    teams which seem a cut above the others.

The brackets are divided into left and right. If I had to guess right now I'd guess that Alabama and Washington State look pretty good to make it to NYC.  I also think that Colorado and Wichita State will make the trip back east. Must admit that Wichita State was one team I knew very little about. From a historic perspective everyone knows just how good they have been. They are 26-8 and have the best overall record of anyone left in the brackets. In  round one the Shockers beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers like dust storm rug. Then the Shockers upset (hmm...) Virginia Tech. Tech was another one of those teams that mighta shoulda gotten into the NCAA. The Hokies come from the vaunted ACC.  And according to some that means Virginia Tech should have beaten State. The same logic holds that Miami should beat the Crimson Tide. That might not happen either. The court advantage might prove enough to send the Tide to Times Square.

Conferences proves of little value as to "hows best"...

You look all around the NIT and NCAA and pretty quickly come to the understanding that league doesn't mean much except in the foolish manner that the NCAA choses invitees. The Big East started with 11 teams. Boston College was also selected to the NIT.  BC is a goner. In the NCAA there are only 2 teams out of the original 12 invitees left.  And really it is hard to even count Uconn because they beat another Big East team to advance. How can can I delicately put this in order not offend my eastern brothers. The Big East is once again an overblown media driven league. In other words - you are overrated.  For the math inclined reader that means that 81% of the Big Least teams are gone. I've been outspoken about the bias shown to the Big East and Big Ten. 6 of the Big Ten teams are gone. Maybe we should be happy about all those early easy games. Charles Barkley said it best, "the Big East has great coaches but very average players." I thought Rick Pitino was going to have an old fashioned come apart as my mom used to say. "No, we deserve 11", Pitino maintained. The truth is that the Big East and Big Ten have become cannon fodder for the rest of the NCAA and NIT. All of a sudden Florida and Kentucky, along with Alabama don't look very weak do they?

     Perhaps Miami will become more cannon fodder for another team.


Bill's limited report of last night's game is the post prior to this one...


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