NCAA Basketball: Top 2018-19 early season tournament fields

DURHAM, NC - MAY 31: Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski sits down for SiriusXM's Town Hall With Hall Of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski at Bill Brill Media Room in Cameron Indoor Stadium on May 31, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 31: head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

NIT Season Tip-Off

The field for this tournament (a spin-off of the postseason competition of the same name), is not totally set. However, the NIT Season Tip-Off boasts two teams that have grabbed the most headlines in all of college basketball, for drastically different reasons.

The Louisville Cardinals are looking to put the shame of Rick Pitino’s firing amid a “pay for play” scandal that forced them to part ways with legendary head coach Rick Pitino. The Cardinals were able to win 22 games on a staff of short-noticed assistant. Chris Mack will become Pitino’s permanent replacement for 2018-19. The former Xavier head coach promises to keep UL hoops on track.

The Kansas Jayhawks are Busting Brackets’ preseason No. 1 in an admittedly “way too early” Top 25. The team will make up for lost starters with talented returners, some incoming transfers, and members of the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class. Tennessee and Marquette are both confirmed to be part of the early season Tip-Off. Their presence adds further strength to the field

The NIT Tip-Off is set for November 21-23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The bracket is set for release later this year.

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