National Invitation Tournament: 2018 preview and analysis of the field
Sleeper Teams
Stanford: Stanford was ravaged by injuries early in the season which led to some unsightly losses. The Cardinal dropped games to Eastern Washington, Portland State, and Long Beach State with a depleted roster, which ultimately removed them from NCAA Tournament consideration.
However, Stanford has proven to be a quality team in Pac-12 play when they have their full group of players. Reid Travis is one of the overlooked stars of college basketball, Dorian Pickens provides much-needed perimeter scoring, and Daejon Davis is a promising PG of the future. When you throw in freshman forward Kezie Okpala and senior center Michael Humphrey you have a dangerous core.
Penn State: Penn State started to play their best towards the end of the season. They dominated their matchup against Ohio State by winning all three games but ultimately fell short against Purdue in a tight Big Ten semifinal.
The Nittany Lions are led by one of the best guards in the country in Tony Carr, but this is much more than a one-man team. Lamar Stevens is an excellent small ball PF and Josh Reaves has started to generate NBA Draft buzz for his stellar defensive abilities. The key for Penn State is their rim protector Mike Watkins. If he is healthy and in the lineup, Penn State will make a deep run.
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers’ NCAA Tournament prospects looked promising after Middle Tennessee was out of the picture, but they lost by one point in the CUSA Championship. The NIT is a solid consolation and WKU has the pieces to make some noise. This is a team that owns a neutral court victory over Purdue.
Senior PF Justin Johnson and senior wing Darius Thompson lead the way. Johnson is a skilled and energetic interior player who can step out and shoot jumpers while Thompson is a multi-dimensional offensive player who led the team in assists. A key sleeper for the Hilltoppers is guard Taveion Hollingsworth, who had a standout freshman campaign and can score from all three levels.
Vermont: The Catamounts were so close to returning to the Big Dance, but a last-second buzzer-beater sent them to the NIT. This a veteran squad led by senior center Payton Henson and senior PG Trae Bell-Haynes, who are two of the top players in the American East.
Vermont has one of the best up and coming coaches in John Becker and that is probably why they are one of the most disciplined teams. The difference maker for Vermont is the health of Anthony Lamb. If Lamb is fully healthy, Vermont can easily compete with the top seeds in the NIT. Expect at least one upset from the Catamounts