The nice thing about the NIT is that it manages to break up the madness of March and allows us to revel in some midweek basketball. On Tuesday, the NIT semifinals are underway, the Final Four of the NIT, with Western Kentucky squaring off against Utah and Penn State playing against Mississippi State.
Western Kentucky vs. Utah
- When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Madison Square Garden in New York
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: WatchESPN
- Line: Western Kentucky -1.5
WKU entered the tournament with a 24-10 record out of Conference USA, with its most notable win coming against Purdue at the beginning of the year. Granted, that was when Purdue was finding itself, but so far in this NIT it's beaten two teams that were considered snubs from the tournament: USC and Oklahoma State. The Hiltoppers are having a solid season, and are looking to finish strong.
WKU will be playing Utah, which has had an up and down season. The Utes haven't really beaten anyone notable, but they've certainly made their mark. Their most impressive win of the tournament came against potential snub Saint Mary's, and now they'll need to beat the equally impressive Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers have five players averaging double digits this season, led by forward Justin Johnson. For the Utes, guard Justin Bibbins leads the way. Against Saint Mary's, Sedrick Barefield paved the way to a Utes win with 19 points. Utah will need similar performances to beat Western Kentucky.
Penn State vs. Mississippi State
- When: Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
- Where: Madison Square Garden in New York
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: WatchESPN
- Line: Penn State -2.5
Penn State has beaten Temple, Notre Dame and Marquette in the NIT, and now it will face off the "other" No. 4 seed on the left side of the bracket. It knocked off a No. 1 and a No. 2 to get here, and it's suggesting that maybe No. 4 was a bit low.
For MSU, it's been the same story. No. 5, followed by No. 1 followed by No. 2. It barely survived Baylor before absolutely blowing out Louisville. Now it has a chance to play for the NIT title if it can get past one more excellent opponent. MSU is another school that may have been underseeded, and now it's out to prove it.
Tony Carr is the unquestioned leader of the Nittany Lions, averaging just shy of 20 points per game. He put up 24 points against Notre Dame before dropping 25 on Marquette. The Bulldogs have a more balanced team, but junior guard Quindarry Weatherspoon does the heavy lifting for Mississippi State. He'll have his work cut out for him.
