National Invitation Tournament: Team-by-team breakdown of the 2018 field
Notre Dame Region
Notre Dame will open up NIT play against eighth seed Hampton on Tuesday in South Bend, Ind. Marquette received the second seed while Oregon is the third seed in the region. Penn State, Temple, Rider and Harvard round out the bracket.
1. Notre Dame: Bonzie Colson is the top draw in this bracket. Colson, a possible second-round draft pick in 2018, is averaging 17.0 points along with over eight rebounds in his five games since returning from a broken foot. His best performance over this five-game performance came against top-ranked Virginia in the regular season finale, where he posted 24 points and 15 rebounds. Overall, the 6-foot-6 senior forward has posted 10 double-doubles and is averaging 20.2 points to go along with 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks this season.
Matt Farrell has earned him some pro looks with his play over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-1 senior point guard is a good ball-handler, distributor, and big-time shot maker. He is averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.3 triples a game.
Sophomore guard TJ Gibbs Jr. has made major strides since his freshman campaign. Gibbs is producing 15.2 points a game which includes 2.2 three-pointers. But it is their defense that will help the Irish take home its first ever NIT championship. ND ranks 76th in scoring defense.
2. Marquette (19-13): The Golden Eagles finished sixth in the Big East and then was blown out by 24 points by Villanova in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Marquette closed the regular season by winning six of nine.
The Golden Eagles feature one of the most explosive offensives in the nation. The Eagles ranked 34th in the country with 81.4 points a game as they made the fifth most three-pointers at 11.1 per contest. Sophomore guard Markus Howard leads the way with 20.2 points a game while senior guard Andrew Rowsey is contributing 20.2 points and sophomore Sam Hauser is chipping in with 14.2 a game.
3. Oregon (22-12): The Ducks finished sixth in the Pac-12, but they reached the semis of the conference tournament. Overall, the Ducks have won five of their last seven.
Sophomore point guard Payton Pritchard and senior forward Mikyle McIntosh are a strong guard and big scoring combo for a Ducks’s team that averages over 77 points a contest. However, the Ducks are just a two-man show as have five players averaging over nine points a contest. Plus, freshman Kenny Wooten is a talented rim protector.
4. Penn State (21-13): The Nittany Lions earned their most wins since 2008-09 when they won the NIT. The Lions finished sixth in the Big Ten, marking their highest finish since placing fourth in the conference in 2010-11. They lost to top-seed Purdue in the semis of the Big Ten Tournament though their biggest wins were over Ohio State (three times).
Sophomore guard Tony Carr, who is extremely talented, leads a young team. Mike Watkins, Lamar Stevens and Josh Reeves are other key members of the team.
5.Temple (17-15): The Owls finished seventh in the AAC and fell to Wichita 89-81 in the quarters of the conference tournament. The Owls have lost five of seven.
Sophomore guard Quinton Rose leads three players in double figures with 15.3 points a game.
6. Rider (22-9): The Broncs earned a share of the MAAC after finishing with a 15-3 record. They were defeated in the quarters of the conference tourney, losing to ninth-seed Saint Peters (66-55). The Broncs are 1-9 all-time in post-season tournaments.
RU finished the season ranked in the top-30 of the nation in both scoring and rebounds. Six-foot-five guard Dimencio Vaughn, an all-MAAC first team selection, led the team in scoring ( 15.8 ) as well as rebounding (6.7). Stevie Jordan, Frederick Scott and Jordan Allen are other key members of the team.
7. Harvard (18-13): The Crimson captured at least a share of the Ivy League title for the sixth time under Tommy Amaker when they 12-2 in conference play. The Crimson, who won nine of their last 11 games, lost to Penn in the finals of the conference tournament.
Six-foot-seven forward Seth Towns is the top player for Harvard, which relies heavily on its defense. The Crimson rank 39th in the country in points allowed at 66.5.
8. Hampton (19-15): The Pirates are in the NIT for the first time ever after capturing their second MEAC regular-season crown in three seasons. The Pirates fell to North Carolina Central in the MEAC Tournament final.
Hampton, led by 6-foot sophomore Jermaine Marrow, ranks 55th in nation scoring at 79.3 points a game. The Pirates also rank 14th in rebounds and 75th in assists