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Nate Billings/Associated Press
By the give up of this weekend, the NCAA males’s basketball tournament discipline will most certainly be down to four groups. Meanwhile, the National Invitation Event already has its last four faculties in subject.
Texas A&M, Washington Teach, Xavier and St. Bonaventure are the groups heading to Madison Square Backyard in Contemporary York Metropolis for the NIT semifinals, which is in a position to be taking subject Tuesday. The winner of those matchups will advance to the championship game, put for Thursday.
Even though the NIT is rarely as prestigious as the NCAA tournament, or no longer it is aloof an honor for a crew to cap its season by winning the tournament. And among the four remaining faculties will attain the rare feat of ending a marketing campaign with a postseason victory.
Right here’s all the pieces that you simply need to have know heading into the 2022 NIT semifinals.
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Tuesday, March 29
No. 2 Xavier vs. St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 Washington Teach, 9: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
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Nate Billings/Associated Press
Of the four remaining groups, St. Bonaventure is basically the most easy unseeded one remaining. The NIT seeds the cease 16 groups in its 32-crew discipline, while the more than a couple of 16 are unseeded and rating randomly placed sooner or later of the bracket. That became as soon as the case for the Bonnies, who beforehand misplaced in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Even supposing St. Bonaventure may possibly well well additionally honest no longer had been as a success sooner or later of the humble season as among the more than a couple of NIT groups, or no longer it has been taking half in rather properly since this tournament began. The Bonnies comprise taken down Colorado, Oklahoma and Virginia over the predominant three rounds, and or no longer it is no longer a easy job to eliminate three straight boulevard video games against Vitality 5 opponents.
If St. Bonaventure wants an different to play for the NIT title, this may possibly well well additionally honest ought to rating previous Xavier, a No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Musketeers performed on their home court in each and each of the predominant three rounds, notching victories over Cleveland Teach, Florida and Vanderbilt.
Even though Xavier is a stable crew, St. Bonaventure is taking a look to pronounce it must protect beating bigger programs, and that will most certainly be providing added motivation in the NIT. That’s why the Bonnies will continue their impressive scramble by beating the Musketeers and advancing to the championship game.
Over the predominant three rounds, St. Bonaventure has had a lots of main scorer in each and each of its wins. It has a balanced, talented lineup anchored by senior guards Jalen Adaway (15.7 parts per game) and Jaren Holmes (13.4).
The Bonnies don’t comprise any effort sharing the basketball, and to permit them to lean on whichever gamers comprise sizzling hands on a given night time. They are going to carry out whatever it takes to capture down Xavier, which had misplaced 10 of 14 video games entering the NIT and couldn’t fetch a device to protect its fresh momentum in the tournament going.
Prediction: St. Bonaventure wins
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Sam Craft/Associated Press
There’s an argument to be made that Texas A&M may possibly well well additionally honest aloof had been included in the NCAA tournament discipline. The Aggies may possibly well well additionally honest had been snubbed by the preference committee, thinking about they made a slack push to capture a study to play their formulation into March Madness.
Within the SEC tournament, Texas A&M defeated Florida, Auburn and Arkansas on consecutive days to be triumphant in the championship game. Even though the Aggies had a seven-game winning slump snapped by Tennessee in the tourney last, they proved they’d moved previous their midseason struggles and can honest beat the SEC’s high groups.
As a replace, Texas A&M ended up as a No. 1 seed in the NIT. And even supposing the Aggies weren’t cheerful about their postseason destination, they’ve gotten right serve heading in the correct direction by beating Alcorn Teach, Oregon and Wake Forest to be triumphant in the semifinals, the put they’ll face Washington Teach at Madison Square Backyard.
“Contemporary York is the put we may possibly well well additionally honest aloof be,” Texas A&M senior guard Quenton Jackson talked about, per Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Story. “Contemporary York is the put we want to take care of alternate.”
If the Aggies are going to carry out that, they’ll ought to beat the Cougars, who beat Santa Clara at home sooner than happening the boulevard to defeat each and each SMU and BYU over the previous two rounds. Washington Teach made an announcement with its quarterfinal victory, a 77-58 eliminate at BYU.
Light, Texas A&M is going to be basically the most easy crew that Washington Teach has confronted but. And while this may possibly well well likely be a aggressive matchup, or no longer it is arduous to concentrate on it no longer entering into the Aggies’ prefer.
Query Texas A&M to pull away slack in the second half of, as its skills and depth will most certainly be too powerful for Washington Teach. The Aggies will advance to the championship game and comprise a stable chance of taking pictures the NIT title.
Prediction: Texas A&M wins
