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St. Bonaventure fell making an attempt reaching the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2022, after experiencing March Insanity in 2021. Alternatively, the Bonnies are silent guaranteeing that the top of this season will seemingly be memorable for the program.
After lacking out on the Gargantuan Dance, St. Bonaventure change into invited to the Nationwide Invitation Match. And though the Bonnies had been one in every of the 16 unseeded packages within the 32-group topic, that hasn’t stopped them from inserting together an spectacular exhibiting.
With consecutive wins over Colorado, Oklahoma and Virginia, St. Bonaventure is one in every of 4 teams within the semifinals of this yr’s NIT. The Bonnies are now dwelling to take dangle of on Xavier, with the winner advancing to face both Texas A&M or Washington Speak within the the rest.
For the duration of the first three rounds, NIT video games took field at the campuses of the upper seeded college. Now that the topic is all the design in which down to four teams, the the rest three video games will seemingly be held at Madison Sq. Backyard in Fresh York City.
Here is the entirety else it’s crucial to take dangle of in regards to the semifinals of the 2022 NIT.
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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 Speak, 9: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
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Can St. Bonaventure possibly pull off yet any other upset and retain its accelerate by design of the NIT going? There possibly weren’t many these that view the Bonnies had been going to place it this some distance, so it’s plausible that they take dangle of down the Musketeers and come to the championship sport.
To reach this level, St. Bonaventure had to elevate three avenue video games in opposition to Vitality 5 packages. It defeated No. 4 seed Colorado 76-68 within the first round and notched a 70-68 elevate over No. 1 Oklahoma within the 2nd round. In the quarterfinals, the Bonnies pulled out a 52-51 previous popular time victory in opposition to unseeded Virginia.
Coming into this yr, St. Bonaventure had misplaced seven of its outdated eight NIT video games. Now, it’s one elevate away from its first championship sport at the tournament since they won the title in 1977.
“If you informed me we had been gonna be here going to Madison Sq. Backyard, I would own view you had been a fool,” St. Bonaventure head coach Attach Schmidt acknowledged, per the Buffalo Facts. “Nonetheless our guys performed exceptionally correctly. … We correct beat three Vitality 5 teams on the avenue, and that says a lot about our guys.”
It is not going to web more uncomplicated from here. Next, the Bonnies are dwelling to take dangle of on No. 2 seed Xavier, which has notched victories in opposition to unseeded Cleveland Speak, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Vanderbilt to reach this level.
The Musketeers own had 5 players find double-digit beneficial properties in each of their first three NIT victories, and that stability would possibly possibly well correctly be complicated for the Bonnies to defend. Alternatively, St. Bonaventure retains finding recommendations to elevate end video games, and it would possibly possibly well truly most likely possibly function that again on this semifinal matchup.
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Texas A&M appeared as if it would possibly possibly well truly most likely possibly be heading for the NCAA tournament when it went on a roll at the SEC tourney. The Aggies took down Florida, Auburn and Arkansas to reach the championship sport of their convention tournament, as they had been one elevate away from March Insanity.
As a replacement, Texas A&M misplaced to Tennessee, and the NCAA tournament selection committee obvious that the Aggies’ resume wasn’t solid adequate to web an at-expansive uncover for the Gargantuan Dance. After that, Texas A&M bought a No. 1 seed within the NIT as one in every of the strongest teams within the topic.
It also will seemingly be complicated for bubble teams that correct fail to see the NCAA tourney to search out the incentive for an NIT accelerate, however the Aggies own done that. They’ve defeated Alcorn Speak, Oregon and No. 2 seed Wake Forest to reach the semifinals.
Texas A&M will now face its third straight Vitality 5 opponent, because it’s dwelling to take dangle of on No. 4 seed Washington Speak, which has earned victories in opposition to Santa Clara, No. 1 SMU and No. 2 BYU. The Cougars own stayed hot within the NIT and own now won seven of their previous eight video games.
To this level within the NIT, Texas A&M hasn’t been tested, winning each of its first three matchups by 12 or more beneficial properties. Nonetheless Washington Speak would possibly possibly well possibly pose a bigger mission, especially on yarn of senior guard Michael Vegetation has had a hot hand, scoring 22 and 27 beneficial properties within the Cougars’ previous two wins.
Both of these teams had been spectacular within the NIT, and this semifinal matchup would possibly possibly well possibly crawl both reach. The winner will seemingly own a proper likelihood of happening to elevate the tournament championship.
