National Invitation Tournament: 2018 preview and analysis of the field

Teams that could win it all

Here are the four teams that are most likely to win the 2018 NIT.

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish had the most polarizing bubble profile. While I was shocked that they were the first team out and that they would have made the field if Davidson had lost, there is no denying that this is a scary NIT team.

Bonzie Colson is one of the best players in the country and it will be interesting to see how much he plays in the tournament. On one hand, he is risking injury, but on the other hand, he needs to shake off the rust before the Portsmouth Invitational begins next month.

Players like Temple Gibbs, Rex Pflueger, and John Mooney have benefitted from the additional playing time and offensive responsibility with Notre Dame’s multitude of injuries. All three players will play a huge role next season and a strong NIT performance could be a sign of what’s to come for next season.

St. Mary’s: The Gaels are another controversial exclusion from the Big Dance. They are a veteran team led by their star center Jock Landale. Landale is an unbelievable low post scorer and is surrounded by 3-point shooters, which makes the St. Mary’s offense extremely dangerous.

St. Mary’s refused to play quality opponents in the non-conference, which led to their snub. They can prove that they can compete against solid teams by advancing deep into the NIT. If the Gaels are motivated to win the NIT, they could easily show the NCAA Tournament selection committee that they made a huge mistake by omitting them.

USC: USC was a top-10 team in the preseason and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely. That ranking was not necessarily as bad as it would seem in hindsight because the Trojans do have an extremely deep and talented roster.

Veteran stars like Jordan McLaughlin and Chimezie Metu will give USC a huge advantage as they are super talented and have extensive postseason experience. Their skilled PF Bennie Boatwright is injured, but the Trojans still have the pieces to win the NIT. USC missed the field because they did not beat any NCAA Tournament teams, not because they weren’t capable competitors.

Oklahoma State: While many teams had a case that they were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma State should have the biggest gripe. The Cowboys had a signature non-conference win (FSU on a neutral), multiple high-level road wins, and zero damaging losses. A dreadful RPI and a nonconference schedule that had too many bottom feeders ultimately sent them to the NIT.

On a positive note, Oklahoma State was not supposed to be this good so a deep run in the NIT should signify a successful season. The Cowboys are certainly capable of advancing with their deep roster. Jeffrey Carroll gets most of the attention, but sophomores Lindy Waters and Cameron McGriff have started to play at a really high level. The future is bright with Mike Boynton at the helm.