National Invitation Tournament
Encyclopedia
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball
tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods
NIT Season Tip-Off
(formerly the Preseason NIT), was founded in 1985. The second, the original NIT, is a post-season tournament played in March and April that is now called the MasterCard
NIT; it was founded in 1938. In both cases, the final rounds of the tournament are played at Madison Square Garden
in New York City. In both common and official usage, "NIT" or "National Invitation Tournament" refers to the post-season tournament unless otherwise qualified. Both the pre- and post-season tournaments were operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA) up until 2005
, when they were purchased by the NCAA.
by one year and is second in age only to the NAIA Tournament
, which was founded by James Naismith
in 1937. This first National Invitation Tournament was won by the Temple University Owls over Colorado
.
The NIT was originated by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association in 1938. Responsibility for its administration was transferred two years later to local colleges, first known as the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Committee and in 1948, as the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), which comprised representatives from five New York City schools: Fordham University
, Manhattan College
, New York University
, St. John's University and Wagner College
. Originally all of the teams qualifying for the tournament were invited to New York City, and all games were played at Madison Square Garden.
The men's tournament originally consisted of only 6 teams, which later expanded to 8 teams in 1941, 12 teams in 1949, 14 teams in 1965, 16 teams in 1968, 24 teams in 1979, 32 teams in 1980, 40 teams from 2002 through 2005, and 64 teams in 2006. The tournament reverted to 32 teams for 2007.
In the tournaments' early years, the NIT often drew some of the nation's best collegiate basketball teams for several reasons. First, there was limited national media coverage of college basketball, therefore playing in "The Big Apple" provided tremendous media exposure for the team and players. This facilitated coaches exposure to the rich recruiting territory of New York City and allowed for players hoping for a shot at the NBA
an opportunity to play before scouts in the largely east coast dominated league. Additionally, the NCAA was originally a tournament mostly among conference winners. Thus, the slots were limited as teams were selected from conferences and regional champions and multiple teams from the same conferences were not allowed. In addition, many Eastern teams, who were mainly independents, preferred the reduced travel of playing closer to home in the NIT.
During the NIT's first 15 years or so, the winners were hailed as National Champions by some, and dispute surrounded which tournament champion was superior. The Helms Athletic Foundation
, which independently selected an annual college basketball national champion, chose the NIT champion over the NCAA champion only once, in 1939, while selecting neither tournament champion three times (1940, 1944, 1954). In addition, from 1943 to 1945 during World War II
, the American Red Cross
sponsored a game between that year's NCAA and NIT champions to raise money for the war effort. In all three years that the charity contest was played, the NCAA champion prevailed.
Several teams played in both tournaments in the same year. Duquesne
in 1940 was the first to do so. In 1944 and 1948, the NCAA tournament champions lost their first games in the NIT tournament. In 1950, City College of New York
won both the NIT and the NCAA tournaments in the same season and remains the only school to accomplish that feat. By the late 1960s, however, the NCAA tournament was becoming the unquestioned premier college tournament. The NCAA began expanding the field to include more teams, and over time the NIT was relegated more and more to its current status as a "consolation" tournament. However, as late as 1970, Coach Al McGuire
of Marquette, the 8th-ranked team in the final AP
poll of the season, spurned an NCAA bid in protest of his team's placement in the Midwest Region, where his team would have to play games farther away from home than it would if it were in the Mideast Region. The team played in the NIT instead, which it won. Such an action would be a violation of NCAA rules today, which prohibits the rejection of NCAA tournament bids.
lawsuit, which had actually come to trial and was being argued until very shortly before the settlement was announced. The MIBA alleged that compelling teams to accept invitations to the NCAA tournament even if they preferred to play in the NIT was an illegal use of the NCAA's powers. (This rule was instituted after Al McGuire's aforementioned snub in 1970.) In addition, it argued that the NCAA's expansion of its tournament to 65 teams was designed specifically to bankrupt the NIT. As part of the purchase of the NIT by the NCAA, the MIBA disbanded for the 10-year duration.
the players in the closing seconds with the prospect of having to play in the NIT. This is done regardless of whether the home team is headed for the NCAA Tournament or not. Irv Moss, a journalist for the Denver Post, once wrote of such a taunt to a defeated team, "The three-letter word... was far more cutting than any four-letter word
they could have hollered."
Since the post-season NIT consists of teams who failed to receive a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the NIT has been humorously nicknamed the "Not Invited Tournament", "Never Important Tournament", "Nobody's Interested Tournament", "No Important Team", "National Insignificant Tournament," or simply "Not In Tournament". It has also been seen as nothing more than a tournament to see who the "69th best team" in the country is (since there are now 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament). Since the postseason NIT includes a third-place game, that contest might be considered "the consolation game within the consolation tournament".
However, proponents of the NIT often point out that many of the NCAA Tournament participants likely would not win the NIT. Because 31 of the teams earn automatic bids in the NCAA Tournament (regardless of their national ranking), the claim that the NIT determines the "69th best team" can be seen as spurious since an automatic bid NCAA Tournament team may be weaker than a NIT team.
David Thompson
, an All-America
n player from North Carolina State, called the NIT "a loser's tournament" in 1975. N.C. State, which had been the previous year's NCAA champion, refused to play in the tournament that year, setting something of a precedent. In succeeding years, other teams such as Oklahoma State, Louisville
, Georgia Tech
, and Georgetown have declined to play in the NIT when they did not make the NCAA tournament. One such team was Maryland
; after being rejected by the NCAA selection committee in 2006, head coach Gary Williams
announced that 19-11 Maryland would not go to the NIT, only to be told that the university had previously agreed to use Comcast Center
as a venue for the NIT. The Terrapins were eliminated in the first round by the Manhattan College
Jaspers. In 2008, however, Williams announced that if invited, the Terps would play, because it would serve as a chance to further develop six freshman players on his squad and to give senior forward James Gist more exposure. At UCLA's famous Pauley Pavilion
, there are individual championship banners for all 11 NCAA titles, various other banners touting many other NCAA and other tournament championships for other sports, but no mention of UCLA's 1985 NIT championship.
For other teams, however, the NIT is perceived as a step up in a program climbing from mediocrity or obscurity, and the response is more enthusiastic. For example, at the University of Tulsa
, which won the NIT in 1981 and 2001, the Golden Hurricane
's NIT "championship tradition" is viewed with pride and as a "lure" for players to join the program.
The NIT Season Tip-Off carries no such stigma, and is one of many popular season-opening tournaments held every year around the country (alongside events such as the Maui Invitational and the Great Alaska Shootout
).
, the television home of the NIT http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2005-08-17-nit-effect_x.htm. The goal of the NIT was to sustain the MIBA financially. Therefore, schools selected to play in the NIT were often major conference teams with records near .500 that had large television fan bases and would likely have a respectable attendance for tournament games on their home court. The latter is one reason why New Mexico was invited virtually every year the Lobos had a winning season but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Seeding considerations and home court advantage included the number of fans willing to show up to each game. In an effort to maintain some quality, a rule saying that a team must have a .500 record to qualify for the NIT was imposed. This prevented ESPN from suggesting major conference teams that finished at or very near the bottom of their conference standings but would likely garner good fan interest.
The NCAA announced a revamped selection process starting with the 2006 tournament. The main highlights are:
In addition, the selection process has been made transparent. ESPN no longer had a hand in the selection of the teams. Instead, a committee of former NCAA head coaches, chaired by Newton, and including Gene Keady
(Purdue
), Don DeVoe
(Tennessee
), Rudy Davalos
, Les Robinson
(NC State
), Reggie Minton
(Air Force
), John Powers and Carroll Williams among others, prepared a list of potential teams in advance. The seeding and balancing process is similar to that of the NCAA tournament, with the exception that higher seeded teams will always host games, unless extenuating circumstances occur. In the past, higher seeded mid-major teams would often be forced to travel to play less highly regarded major conference teams that would be likely to sell more tickets to the game.
ESPN continues to provide television coverage of the tournament. The NIT has a 10-year, $24.1 million contract with ESPN; this compares with the 11-year, $6.2 billion TV contract with CBS for the NCAA tournament.
These changes are intended to encourage participation by good college teams that would rather stay home than play in the NIT – to make it the "Little Dance" instead of the "loser's tournament." Newton stated, "What we want to have is a true basketball event, a real tournament, one where there's no preconceived ideas of who gets to New York. We'd love to have great crowds, but this is not a financial consideration. We want good television coverage, but we're not going to play this thing for television and move games around."
Another consideration is that a number one-seeded team that goes to the semifinals will have three home games, which helps ticket sales.
Beginning with the 2007 tournament, the field for the NIT returned to the 32-team field used from 1980 through 2001, eliminating the eight "play-in" opening round where teams played to qualify for second round games against the top eight seeds. The tournament features four eight-team regions. The format did not affect the NIT's automatic bid to any regular-season conference champion that does not make the NCAA's field of 65. Seven teams earned an NIT bid that way in 2006.
A new attendance record for a NIT game was set at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, March 19, 2007, at the Syracuse
-San Diego State
game. Syracuse won the game 80-64 with the attendance total of 26,752. The old record of 23,522 was set by Kentucky in 1979.
. It began as an eight-team tournament in Amarillo, Texas
, expanding to 64 teams by 2010. However, this is affiliated with the NIT in name only. It was not connected with MIBA and was not purchased by the NCAA.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
NIT Season Tip-Off
NIT Season Tip-Off
The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, around the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites and the semifinals and the finals are held at Madison Square Garden. The tournament began in 1985 as the...
(formerly the Preseason NIT), was founded in 1985. The second, the original NIT, is a post-season tournament played in March and April that is now called the MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
NIT; it was founded in 1938. In both cases, the final rounds of the tournament are played at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City. In both common and official usage, "NIT" or "National Invitation Tournament" refers to the post-season tournament unless otherwise qualified. Both the pre- and post-season tournaments were operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA) up until 2005
2005 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:...
, when they were purchased by the NCAA.
History
The post-season NIT, started in 1938, pre-dates the NCAA TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
by one year and is second in age only to the NAIA Tournament
NAIA national men's basketball championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 . The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities...
, which was founded by James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
in 1937. This first National Invitation Tournament was won by the Temple University Owls over Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball
The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Pacific-12 Conference.The Buffaloes have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Final Four twice , and...
.
The NIT was originated by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association in 1938. Responsibility for its administration was transferred two years later to local colleges, first known as the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Committee and in 1948, as the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), which comprised representatives from five New York City schools: Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, St. John's University and Wagner College
Wagner College
Wagner College is a private, co-educational, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 total students located atop Grymes Hill in New York City's borough of Staten Island...
. Originally all of the teams qualifying for the tournament were invited to New York City, and all games were played at Madison Square Garden.
The men's tournament originally consisted of only 6 teams, which later expanded to 8 teams in 1941, 12 teams in 1949, 14 teams in 1965, 16 teams in 1968, 24 teams in 1979, 32 teams in 1980, 40 teams from 2002 through 2005, and 64 teams in 2006. The tournament reverted to 32 teams for 2007.
In the tournaments' early years, the NIT often drew some of the nation's best collegiate basketball teams for several reasons. First, there was limited national media coverage of college basketball, therefore playing in "The Big Apple" provided tremendous media exposure for the team and players. This facilitated coaches exposure to the rich recruiting territory of New York City and allowed for players hoping for a shot at the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
an opportunity to play before scouts in the largely east coast dominated league. Additionally, the NCAA was originally a tournament mostly among conference winners. Thus, the slots were limited as teams were selected from conferences and regional champions and multiple teams from the same conferences were not allowed. In addition, many Eastern teams, who were mainly independents, preferred the reduced travel of playing closer to home in the NIT.
During the NIT's first 15 years or so, the winners were hailed as National Champions by some, and dispute surrounded which tournament champion was superior. The Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
, which independently selected an annual college basketball national champion, chose the NIT champion over the NCAA champion only once, in 1939, while selecting neither tournament champion three times (1940, 1944, 1954). In addition, from 1943 to 1945 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
sponsored a game between that year's NCAA and NIT champions to raise money for the war effort. In all three years that the charity contest was played, the NCAA champion prevailed.
Several teams played in both tournaments in the same year. Duquesne
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in 1940 was the first to do so. In 1944 and 1948, the NCAA tournament champions lost their first games in the NIT tournament. In 1950, City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
won both the NIT and the NCAA tournaments in the same season and remains the only school to accomplish that feat. By the late 1960s, however, the NCAA tournament was becoming the unquestioned premier college tournament. The NCAA began expanding the field to include more teams, and over time the NIT was relegated more and more to its current status as a "consolation" tournament. However, as late as 1970, Coach Al McGuire
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.-Early life:He...
of Marquette, the 8th-ranked team in the final AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll of the season, spurned an NCAA bid in protest of his team's placement in the Midwest Region, where his team would have to play games farther away from home than it would if it were in the Mideast Region. The team played in the NIT instead, which it won. Such an action would be a violation of NCAA rules today, which prohibits the rejection of NCAA tournament bids.
NCAA takes control
In 2005, the NCAA purchased 10-year rights to the NIT from the MIBA for $56.5 million to settle an antitrustAntitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
lawsuit, which had actually come to trial and was being argued until very shortly before the settlement was announced. The MIBA alleged that compelling teams to accept invitations to the NCAA tournament even if they preferred to play in the NIT was an illegal use of the NCAA's powers. (This rule was instituted after Al McGuire's aforementioned snub in 1970.) In addition, it argued that the NCAA's expansion of its tournament to 65 teams was designed specifically to bankrupt the NIT. As part of the purchase of the NIT by the NCAA, the MIBA disbanded for the 10-year duration.
The reputation of the NIT
The status of the post-season National Invitation Tournament as a "consolation" fixture has led to somewhat of a stigma in the minds of many fans. When teams with tenuous hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth lose away from home late in the season, opposing fans may tauntTaunt
A taunt is a battle cry, a method in hand-to-hand combat, sarcastic remark, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage reactionary behaviors without thinking. Taunting can exist as a form of social competition to gain control of the target's cultural capital...
the players in the closing seconds with the prospect of having to play in the NIT. This is done regardless of whether the home team is headed for the NCAA Tournament or not. Irv Moss, a journalist for the Denver Post, once wrote of such a taunt to a defeated team, "The three-letter word... was far more cutting than any four-letter word
Four-letter word
The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language words written with four letters which are considered profane, including common popular or slang terms for excretory functions, sexual activity and genitalia, and sometimes also certain terms relating to Hell and damnation when used...
they could have hollered."
Since the post-season NIT consists of teams who failed to receive a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the NIT has been humorously nicknamed the "Not Invited Tournament", "Never Important Tournament", "Nobody's Interested Tournament", "No Important Team", "National Insignificant Tournament," or simply "Not In Tournament". It has also been seen as nothing more than a tournament to see who the "69th best team" in the country is (since there are now 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament). Since the postseason NIT includes a third-place game, that contest might be considered "the consolation game within the consolation tournament".
However, proponents of the NIT often point out that many of the NCAA Tournament participants likely would not win the NIT. Because 31 of the teams earn automatic bids in the NCAA Tournament (regardless of their national ranking), the claim that the NIT determines the "69th best team" can be seen as spurious since an automatic bid NCAA Tournament team may be weaker than a NIT team.
David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
, an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n player from North Carolina State, called the NIT "a loser's tournament" in 1975. N.C. State, which had been the previous year's NCAA champion, refused to play in the tournament that year, setting something of a precedent. In succeeding years, other teams such as Oklahoma State, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball...
, and Georgetown have declined to play in the NIT when they did not make the NCAA tournament. One such team was Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
; after being rejected by the NCAA selection committee in 2006, head coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
announced that 19-11 Maryland would not go to the NIT, only to be told that the university had previously agreed to use Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
as a venue for the NIT. The Terrapins were eliminated in the first round by the Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
Jaspers. In 2008, however, Williams announced that if invited, the Terps would play, because it would serve as a chance to further develop six freshman players on his squad and to give senior forward James Gist more exposure. At UCLA's famous Pauley Pavilion
Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams...
, there are individual championship banners for all 11 NCAA titles, various other banners touting many other NCAA and other tournament championships for other sports, but no mention of UCLA's 1985 NIT championship.
For other teams, however, the NIT is perceived as a step up in a program climbing from mediocrity or obscurity, and the response is more enthusiastic. For example, at the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, which won the NIT in 1981 and 2001, the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team participates in Conference USA. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik....
's NIT "championship tradition" is viewed with pride and as a "lure" for players to join the program.
The NIT Season Tip-Off carries no such stigma, and is one of many popular season-opening tournaments held every year around the country (alongside events such as the Maui Invitational and the Great Alaska Shootout
Great Alaska Shootout
The Great Alaska Shootout is an annual college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that features colleges from all over the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage hosts the tournament every Thanksgiving. Tournament games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage...
).
Selection process
In the past, NIT teams were selected in consultation with ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, the television home of the NIT http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2005-08-17-nit-effect_x.htm. The goal of the NIT was to sustain the MIBA financially. Therefore, schools selected to play in the NIT were often major conference teams with records near .500 that had large television fan bases and would likely have a respectable attendance for tournament games on their home court. The latter is one reason why New Mexico was invited virtually every year the Lobos had a winning season but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Seeding considerations and home court advantage included the number of fans willing to show up to each game. In an effort to maintain some quality, a rule saying that a team must have a .500 record to qualify for the NIT was imposed. This prevented ESPN from suggesting major conference teams that finished at or very near the bottom of their conference standings but would likely garner good fan interest.
The NCAA announced a revamped selection process starting with the 2006 tournament. The main highlights are:
- Teams are no longer required to have .500 or greater records to receive bids. Even with this change, however, all teams receiving invitations for the NIT have had .500 or greater records.
- Similar to the automatic bids the NCAA Tournament grants for all conference tournament champions, all teams that won regular-season conference championships but failed to earn NCAA tournament bids are guaranteed places in the NIT.
In addition, the selection process has been made transparent. ESPN no longer had a hand in the selection of the teams. Instead, a committee of former NCAA head coaches, chaired by Newton, and including Gene Keady
Gene Keady
Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Keady is a basketball coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball coach at Purdue University for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.-Kansas State :...
(Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
), Don DeVoe
Don DeVoe
Donald E. "Don" DeVoe is a former American college basketball coach and former player. DeVoe played college basketball for Ohio State University, and later served as the head coach for Virginia Tech, the University of Wyoming, the University of Tennessee, the University of Florida and the U.S...
(Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
), Rudy Davalos
Rudy Davalos
Rudy Albert Davalos, Jr. is a retired men's basketball coach and collegiate athletics director.-References:...
, Les Robinson
Les Robinson
-External links:*...
(NC State
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
), Reggie Minton
Reggie Minton
William Reginald "Reggie" Minton is the deputy executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He also served as the men's basketball head coach at Dartmouth College in 1984 and at the United States Air Force Academy from 1985 to 2000.-Records as coach:Overall: Head coaching...
(Air Force
Air Force Falcons
The Air Force Falcons are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the United States Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The intercollegiate program has 17 men's and 10 women's NCAA-sanctioned teams...
), John Powers and Carroll Williams among others, prepared a list of potential teams in advance. The seeding and balancing process is similar to that of the NCAA tournament, with the exception that higher seeded teams will always host games, unless extenuating circumstances occur. In the past, higher seeded mid-major teams would often be forced to travel to play less highly regarded major conference teams that would be likely to sell more tickets to the game.
ESPN continues to provide television coverage of the tournament. The NIT has a 10-year, $24.1 million contract with ESPN; this compares with the 11-year, $6.2 billion TV contract with CBS for the NCAA tournament.
These changes are intended to encourage participation by good college teams that would rather stay home than play in the NIT – to make it the "Little Dance" instead of the "loser's tournament." Newton stated, "What we want to have is a true basketball event, a real tournament, one where there's no preconceived ideas of who gets to New York. We'd love to have great crowds, but this is not a financial consideration. We want good television coverage, but we're not going to play this thing for television and move games around."
Another consideration is that a number one-seeded team that goes to the semifinals will have three home games, which helps ticket sales.
Beginning with the 2007 tournament, the field for the NIT returned to the 32-team field used from 1980 through 2001, eliminating the eight "play-in" opening round where teams played to qualify for second round games against the top eight seeds. The tournament features four eight-team regions. The format did not affect the NIT's automatic bid to any regular-season conference champion that does not make the NCAA's field of 65. Seven teams earned an NIT bid that way in 2006.
A new attendance record for a NIT game was set at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY, March 19, 2007, at the Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
-San Diego State
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
game. Syracuse won the game 80-64 with the attendance total of 26,752. The old record of 23,522 was set by Kentucky in 1979.
Women's tournaments
Since the 1970s, there has been a Women's National Invitation TournamentWomen's National Invitation Tournament
The Women's National Invitation Tournament , formerly the National Women's Invitation Tournament, is a college basketball tournament with a preseason and postseason version played every year...
. It began as an eight-team tournament in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, expanding to 64 teams by 2010. However, this is affiliated with the NIT in name only. It was not connected with MIBA and was not purchased by the NCAA.
Men's Post-season NIT Championships
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | MVP |
| 2011 2011 National Invitation Tournament -Colorado bracket:-Boston College bracket:-Virginia Tech bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:* 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament... |
Wichita State Wichita State Shockers men's basketball The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... |
Alabama | Graham Hatch, Wichita State Wichita State Shockers men's basketball The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... |
| 2010 2010 National Invitation Tournament -Arizona State Bracket:-Virginia Tech Bracket:-Mississippi State Bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:*2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament... |
Dayton 2009–10 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team The 2009–10 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Brian Gregory's seventh season at Dayton. The Flyers compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference and played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena... |
North Carolina 2009–10 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team The 2009–10 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their head coach was Roy Williams. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They... |
Chris Johnson, Dayton 2009–10 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team The 2009–10 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Brian Gregory's seventh season at Dayton. The Flyers compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference and played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena... |
| 2009 2009 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:... |
Penn State 2008–09 Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team The 2008–09 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University and completed the season by winning the 2009 National Invitation Tournament over the Baylor Bears at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Head Coach, Ed DeChellis, coached his sixth season with the team... |
Baylor 2008–09 Baylor Bears men's basketball team The 2008–09 Baylor Bears men's basketball team represented Baylor University in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Head Coach is Scott Drew, who served his 6th year. The team played its home games in the Ferrell Center in Waco, TX... |
Jamelle Cornley, Penn State |
| 2008 2008 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals and Final:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3* - Overtime game.-External links:*... |
Ohio State 2007-08 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team The 2007–08 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team competed in the 2008 National Invitation Tournament. The Buckeyes finished in fifth place in the Big Ten.-Preseason:... |
Massachusetts UMass Minutemen basketball The UMass Minutemen basketball team, also known as the Massachusetts Minutemen, represents the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I men's competition... |
Kosta Koufos Kosta Koufos Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos is a Greek-American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft... , Ohio State |
| 2007 2007 National Invitation Tournament The 2007 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams which did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament... |
West Virginia West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by... |
Clemson Clemson Tigers men's basketball The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:... |
Frank Young Frank Young (basketball player) Franklin Louis Young was an American senior basketball player for the West Virginia Mountaineers men's squad. Young was commonly referred to as "Frank The Tank" by West Virginia fans.-Early life:... , West Virginia |
| 2006 2006 National Invitation Tournament -Michigan Bracket:-Louisville Bracket:-Cincinnati Bracket:-Semifinals & Finals:... |
South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976... |
Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... |
Renaldo Balkman Renaldo Balkman Renaldo Balkman is an American professional basketball player, formerly of the University of South Carolina. He currently plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has represented the Puerto Rico national team in international competition... , South Carolina |
| 2005 2005 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:... |
South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976... |
Saint Joseph's Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through... |
Carlos Powell Carlos Powell Ricardo Auturo "Carlos" Powell is an American basketball player for Maccabi Haifa B.C. of the Israeli Basketball Super League. He is notable for receiving the NIT Most Valuable Player award, in the NIT tournament. Other honors he has received include 2003-2004 All SEC, 2004-2005 Preseason All SEC,... , South Carolina |
| 2004 2004 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:... |
Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... |
Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men's Basketball team represents Rutgers University and is a NCAA Division I college basketball team, which competes in the Big East Conference... |
Daniel Horton, Michigan |
| 2003 2003 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Texas Tech 71, Minnesota 61St. John's later vacated the title due to an ineligible player.... |
Vacated (St. John's won) St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... won the 2003 NIT title, but later vacated the title due to an ineligible player. |
Georgetown | None Marcus Hatten Marcus Hatten Marcus Hatten is an American Basketball player currently playing for Dexia Mons-Hainaut, Belgium.... of St. John's was the MVP of the 2003 tournament, but vacated the award with St. John's title. |
| 2002 2002 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Temple 65, Syracuse 64... |
Memphis | South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976... |
Dajuan Wagner Dajuan Wagner Dajuan Marquett Wagner is an American former professional basketball player.Wagner is the son of former University of Louisville and NBA player Milt Wagner... , Memphis |
| 2001 2001 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Memphis 86, Detroit 71... |
Tulsa Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team participates in Conference USA. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik.... |
Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,... |
Marcus Hill, Tulsa |
| 2000 2000 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 74, N.C. State 72... |
Wake Forest Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... |
Robert O'Kelley, Wake Forest |
| 1999 1999 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Xavier 106, Oregon 75... |
California | Clemson Clemson Tigers men's basketball The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:... |
Sean Lampley Sean Lampley Sean Lampley is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Lampley played at the University of California, leading the Golden Bears to victory over Clemson in the 1999 National Invitational Tournament and earning MVP honors... , Cal |
| 1998 1998 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Georgia 95, Fresno State 79Minnesota later forfeited its entire 1997-98 schedule due to an academic fraud scandal.... |
Vacated (Minnesota won) Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905... won the 1998 NIT title, but later vacated the title and forfeited its entire 1997-98 schedule due to academic fraud. |
Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball The Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the Pennsylvania State University. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and play home games at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center, moving there from boisterous Rec Hall during the 1995–96... |
None Kevin Clark of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... was the MVP of the 1998 tournament, but vacated the award with Minnesota's title. |
| 1997 1997 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Connecticut 74, Arkansas 64Michigan later forfeited its entire 1996-97 schedule after Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were found to have taken money from a Michigan booster.... |
Vacated (Michigan won) Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... won the 1997 NIT title, but later vacated the title and forfeited its entire 1996-97 schedule due to ineligible players. |
Florida State | None Robert Traylor Robert Traylor Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor was an American professional basketball player.-High school and college:... of Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... was the MVP of the 1997 tournament, but was later declared ineligible and his award vacated. |
| 1996 1996 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Tulane 87, Alabama 76... |
Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college basketball. The program saw its first game in 1896 playing 7-on-7 basketball. The first collegiate game was against Nebraska Wesleyan University... |
Saint Joseph's Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through... |
Erick Strickland Erick Strickland Demerick Montae Strickland is an American professional basketball player formerly in the NBA.... , Nebraska |
| 1995 1995 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 66, Canisius 62... |
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:... |
Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
Shawn Smith, Virginia Tech |
| 1994 1994 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Siena 92, Kansas State 79... |
Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball The Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles . They have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 six times... |
Doremus Bennerman, Siena |
| 1993 1993 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - UAB 55, Providence 52... |
Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905... |
Georgetown | Voshon Lenard Voshon Lenard Voshon Kelan Lenard is an American professional basketball player. He is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA . He was listed as 6' 4" and 215 lbs, and was born in Detroit, Michigan... , Minnesota |
| 1992 1992 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Utah 81, Florida 78... |
Virginia Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... |
Bryant Stith Bryant Stith Bryant Lamonica Stith is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.A 6'5" shooting guard, Bryant was selected from the University of Virginia with the 13th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1992 NBA Draft. Bryant played eight seasons with the team before being traded to... , Virginia |
| 1991 1991 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Colorado 98, Massachusetts 91... |
Stanford Stanford Cardinal men's basketball The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942... |
Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball -1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980... |
Adam Keefe, Stanford Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... |
| 1990 1990 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Penn State 83, New Mexico 81... |
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball The Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles . They have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 six times... |
Saint Louis Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have... |
Scott Draud, Vanderbilt |
| 1989 1989 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - UAB 78, Michigan State 76... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Saint Louis Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have... |
Jayson Williams Jayson Williams Jayson Williams is an American former professional basketball player. Standing 6 feet, 10 inches tall, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. In 2010, he pled guilty to assault in the shooting death of a limousine driver... , St. John's |
| 1988 1988 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Colorado State 58, Boston College 57... |
Connecticut Connecticut Huskies men's basketball The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
Phil Gamble, UConn |
| 1987 1987 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Nebraska 76, Arkansas-Little Rock 67... |
Southern Miss | La Salle La Salle Explorers men's basketball The La Salle Explorers Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University.-History:The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.La Salle... |
Randolph Keys Randolph Keys Randolph Keys is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st round of the 1988 NBA Draft. Keys played in 5 NBA seasons in his career for the Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks... , Southern Miss |
| 1986 1986 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Louisiana Tech 67, Florida 62... |
Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
Wyoming Wyoming Cowboys men's basketball The University of Wyoming men's basketball program, which currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, has a lengthy tradition dating back to 1905. Cowboys fans can claim something that few other teams' fans can: an NCAA Championship, won in 1943 under Hall of Fame coach Everett Shelton and... |
Brad Sellers Brad Sellers Bradley Donn Sellers is a retired American professional basketball player. A 7'0" power forward/center from the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University, he was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft.Sellers was a controversial selection among the Bulls'... , Ohio State |
| 1985 1985 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Tennessee 100, Louisville 84... |
UCLA UCLA Bruins men's basketball The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,... |
Indiana Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU... |
Reggie Miller Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers... , UCLA |
| 1984 1984 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Virginia Tech 71, Southwestern Louisiana 70... |
Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... |
Tim McCormick Tim McCormick Timothy Daniel McCormick is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'11" center from the University of Michigan, McCormick played eight seasons in the NBA as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and New Jersey Nets... , Michigan |
| 1983 1983 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:... |
Fresno State Fresno State Bulldogs The Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 19 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1969... |
DePaul DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois... |
Ron Anderson Ron Anderson (basketball) Ronald Gene Anderson is a retired American professional basketball player, best known for his spell with the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers. His son Ron, Jr... , Fresno State |
| 1982 1982 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
Purdue Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records... |
Mitchell Anderson J. J. Anderson Mitchell Keith Anderson is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . His position was power forward. He stood at 6'10" and weighed 235 lbs... , Bradley |
| 1981 1981 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Purdue 75, West Virginia 72... |
Tulsa Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team participates in Conference USA. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik.... |
Syracuse Syracuse Orange men's basketball The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
Greg Stewart, Tulsa |
| 1980 1980 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Illinois 84, UNLV 74... |
Virginia Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:... |
Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905... |
Ralph Sampson Ralph Sampson Ralph Lee Sampson, Jr. is a retired American college and professional basketball player.A 7-foot-4 phenom, three-time College Player of the Year, and No... , Virginia |
| 1979 1979 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals & Finals:* Third Place - Alabama 96, Ohio State 86... |
Indiana Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU... |
Purdue Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records... |
Butch Carter Butch Carter Clarence Eugene "Butch" Carter is a retired American basketball player and coach of the NBA... and Ray Tolbert Ray Tolbert Raymond Lee "Ray" Tolbert is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the 1st round of the 1981 NBA Draft. A 6'9" power forward from the Indiana University, Tolbert played in five NBA seasons for six different teams... , Indiana |
| 1978 1978 National Invitation Tournament The 1978 National Invitation Tournament was the 1978 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Texas Texas Longhorns men's basketball The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.... |
North Carolina State NC State Wolfpack men's basketball The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member.... |
Jim Krivacs and Ron Baxter Ron Baxter Baxter played forward for the University of Texas Men's Basketball team from 1977-80 and helped lead the Longhorns to the 1978 NIT Championship.* Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1980* Three-time first-team All-Southwest Conference pick... , Texas |
| 1977 1977 National Invitation Tournament The 1977 National Invitation Tournament was the 1977 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
St. Bonaventure St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students.... |
Houston Houston Cougars men's basketball The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA... |
Greg Sanders, St. Bonaventure |
| 1976 1976 National Invitation Tournament The 1976 National Invitation Tournament was the 1976 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Kentucky 1975-76 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team The 1975–76 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The Head Coach was Joe B. Hall. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Memorial Coliseum.-National Invitation Tournament:... |
Charlotte Charlotte 49ers men's basketball The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team represents UNC Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 Conference.-Coaches:-Coaching staff:-Professional Players:The following Charlotte basketball players appeared in at least one game in the NBA:*Cedric Ball... |
Cedric Maxwell Cedric Maxwell Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers... , Charlotte |
| 1975 1975 National Invitation Tournament The 1975 National Invitation Tournament was the 1975 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Princeton Princeton Tigers men's basketball The Princeton Tigers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Princeton University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Tigers play home basketball games at the Jadwin Gymnasium in... |
Providence Providence Friars men's basketball The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island... |
Ron Lee Ron Lee Ronald Henry Lee was an All-American basketball player for the University of Oregon, and epitomized the "Kamikaze Kids" under coach Dick Harter with his all-out, fearless hustle and relentless desire to win. Lee played four seasons for the Ducks between 1972 and 1976... , Oregon Oregon Ducks men's basketball Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won... |
| 1974 1974 National Invitation Tournament The 1974 National Invitation Tournament was the 1974 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Purdue Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records... |
Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
Mike Sojourner Mike Sojourner Michael "Mike" Sojourner is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'9" power forward / center from the University of Utah, Sojourner played three seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, where he played his entire professional career... , Utah |
| 1973 1973 National Invitation Tournament The 1973 National Invitation Tournament was the 1973 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... |
John Shumate John Shumate John H. Shumate is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.... , Notre Dame |
| 1972 1972 National Invitation Tournament The 1972 National Invitation Tournament was the 1972 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Maryland Maryland Terrapins men's basketball The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition... |
Niagara Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball The Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball team is the college basketball team that represent Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference... |
Tom McMillen Charles Thomas McMillen Charles Thomas "Tom" McMillen is a retired NBA professional basketball player, Rhodes Scholar, and Democratic U.S. Congressman who represented the 4th congressional district of Maryland from January 3, 1987 to January 3, 1993.-Basketball:Prior to entering politics, McMillen was a star basketball... , Maryland |
| 1971 1971 National Invitation Tournament The 1971 National Invitation Tournament was the 1971 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. 1971 was unique because it is the only time that major rivals Duke and North Carolina have played each other after the ACC Tournament. Eventual ACC member Georgia Tech also made the... |
North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history... |
Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball... |
Bill Chamberlain Bill Chamberlain William Martin Chamberlain is a retired American professional basketball player in the ABA and the NBA.He played for the Memphis Tams and Kentucky Colonels of the ABA and the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.... , North Carolina |
| 1970 1970 National Invitation Tournament The 1970 National Invitation Tournament was unique in that coach Al McGuire of Marquette University, unhappy with his team's placement, turned down a bid to the NCAA tournament and elected to play in the NIT instead. His Marquette Warriors went on to claim the championship.This tournament... |
Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Dean Meminger Dean Meminger Dean Peter Meminger is an American basketball player and coach. Meminger starred at Rice High School in New York City. He attended Marquette University, where he played for coach Al McGuire... , Marquette |
| 1969 1969 National Invitation Tournament The 1969 National Invitation Tournament was the 1969 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Temple Temple Owls men's basketball The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:... |
Boston College Boston College Eagles men's basketball The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played... |
Terry Driscoll Terry Driscoll Edward Cuthbert "Terry" Driscoll Jr. is an American former professional basketball player.A 6 ft 7 in forward, Driscoll played at Boston College in the late 1960s. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 1969 National Invitational Tournament after leading his school to the tournament final... , BC |
| 1968 1968 National Invitation Tournament The 1968 National Invitation Tournament was the 1968 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 16 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Kansas | Don May Don May Donald John May is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" two-time 2nd team All-American forward from the University of Dayton who was the star of the Flyer team that lost in the 1967 national championship game to Lew Alcindor's UCLA team... , Dayton |
| 1967 1967 National Invitation Tournament The 1967 National Invitation Tournament was the 1967 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 14 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball The Southern Illinois Salukis basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis are currently coached by Chris Lowery who led the team to the NCAA tournament in 2004 thru 2007. Lowery was... |
Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
Walt Frazier Walt Frazier Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard... , S. Illinois |
| 1966 1966 National Invitation Tournament The 1966 National Invitation Tournament was the 1966 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 14 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Brigham Young BYU Cougars men's basketball The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference... |
NYU | Bill Melchionni Bill Melchionni William P. "Bill" Melchionni is a former NBA and ABA player.Melchionni was a wispy guard from Bishop Eustace Prep who was a collegiate star in the mid-1960s at Villanova University and was the Most Valuable Player in the 1966 NIT... , Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
| 1965 1965 National Invitation Tournament The 1965 National Invitation Tournament was the 1965 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 14 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
Ken McIntyre, St. John's |
| 1964 1964 National Invitation Tournament The 1964 National Invitation Tournament was the 1964 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
New Mexico | Levern Tart Levern Tart Levern Tart was an American basketball player.-College career:The 6'2" , 195 pound guard Tart played college basketball at Bradley University... , Bradley |
| 1963 1963 National Invitation Tournament The 1963 National Invitation Tournament was the 1963 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Providence Providence Friars men's basketball The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island... |
Canisius Canisius College Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and... |
Ray Flynn Raymond Flynn Raymond Leo Flynn , also known as Ray Flynn, served as Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from 1984 until 1993. He was later appointed United States Ambassador to the Holy See by President Bill Clinton.-Early life:... , Providence |
| 1962 1962 National Invitation Tournament The 1962 National Invitation Tournament was the 1962 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Bill Chmielewski, Dayton |
| 1961 1961 National Invitation Tournament The 1961 National Invitation Tournament was the 1961 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Providence Providence Friars men's basketball The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island... |
Saint Louis Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have... |
Vin Ernst, Providence |
| 1960 1960 National Invitation Tournament The 1960 National Invitation Tournament was the 1960 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
Providence Providence Friars men's basketball The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island... |
Lenny Wilkens Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA... , Providence |
| 1959 1959 National Invitation Tournament The 1959 National Invitation Tournament was the 1959 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
Tony Jackson Tony Jackson (basketball) Tony B. Jackson was a professional basketball player.Jackson was born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. A standout player under coach Joe Lapchick at St... , St. John's |
| 1958 1958 National Invitation Tournament The 1958 National Invitation Tournament was the 1958 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Xavier Xavier Musketeers men's basketball The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Hank Stein, Xavier |
| 1957 1957 National Invitation Tournament The 1957 National Invitation Tournament was the 1957 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
Memphis State | Win Wilfong Win Wilfong Alva Winfred Wilfong was an American professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard/forward from the University of Memphis, Wilfong played four seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the St. Louis Hawks and Cincinnati Royals. He averaged 6.8 points per game and won a league... , Memphis State |
| 1956 1956 National Invitation Tournament The 1956 National Invitation Tournament was the 1956 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Charlie Tyra Charlie Tyra Charles E. Tyra was an American basketball player who is best known as the first Louisville Cardinal All-American.... , Louisville |
| 1955 1955 National Invitation Tournament The 1955 National Invitation Tournament was the 1955 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Duquesne Duquesne Dukes men's basketball The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Maurice Stokes Maurice Stokes Maurice Stokes was an American professional basketball player in the 1950s, whose career was cut short by a debilitating injury... , St. Francis (Pa.) Saint Francis University Saint Francis University is a four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular... |
| 1954 1954 National Invitation Tournament The 1954 National Invitation Tournament was the 1954 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Holy Cross Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center... |
Duquesne Duquesne Dukes men's basketball The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament... |
Togo Palazzi Togo Palazzi Togo Anthony Palazzi is a retired American basketball player.A 6'4" forward/guard, Palazzi played at the College of the Holy Cross in the 1950s. He was captain of the Crusaders team that won the 1954 NIT Championship and was named MVP of the tournament.Palazzi was selected by the Boston Celtics... , Holy Cross |
| 1953 1953 National Invitation Tournament The 1953 National Invitation Tournament was the 1953 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Seton Hall Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Walter Dukes Walter Dukes Walter F. Dukes was a center for the New York Knickerbockers , Minneapolis Lakers and Detroit Pistons .... , Seton Hall |
| 1952 1952 National Invitation Tournament The 1952 National Invitation Tournament was the 1952 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. The 1952 tournament was won by La Salle University. Tom Gola and Norm Grekin were co-MVPs.-Selected teams:... |
La Salle La Salle Explorers men's basketball The La Salle Explorers Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University.-History:The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.La Salle... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Tom Gola Tom Gola Thomas Joseph Gola is a retired American basketball player.-Early Life:Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship... and Norm Grekin, La Salle |
| 1951 1951 National Invitation Tournament The 1951 National Invitation Tournament was the 1951 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Brigham Young BYU Cougars men's basketball The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference... |
Dayton Dayton Flyers men's basketball The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The... |
Roland Minson, Brigham Young |
| 1950 1950 National Invitation Tournament The 1950 National Invitation Tournament was the 1950 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. For the only time in history, the same school won both the NIT and NCAA tournaments as CCNY took both championships, beating Bradley in both finals... |
CCNY 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team The 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team represented the City College of New York. The Head Coach was Nat Holman. The team is the only team to win both the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA Tournament in the same year... |
Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
Ed Warner Ed Warner (basketball) Edward L. Warner was an American college basketball player. He was one of the stars of the 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team, the only team to win both the NCAA tournament and the National Invitation Tournament in the same year... , CCNY |
| 1949 1949 National Invitation Tournament The 1949 National Invitation Tournament was the 1949 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
San Francisco San Francisco Dons men's basketball The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament... |
Loyola Loyola Ramblers The Loyola Ramblers are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Horizon League of the NCAA Division I... |
Don Lofgran Don Lofgran Donald "Don" Lofgran was an American basketball player who was a Consensus Second Team All-American in 1950 while at the University of San Francisco... , San Francisco |
| 1948 1948 National Invitation Tournament The 1948 National Invitation Tournament was the 1948 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Saint Louis Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have... |
NYU | Ed Macauley Ed Macauley Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."... , Saint Louis |
| 1947 1947 National Invitation Tournament The 1947 National Invitation Tournament was the 1947 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... |
Vern Gardner Vern Gardner Vernon B. "Vern" Gardner was an American basketball player. He was a two-time consensus All-American at the University of Utah and played three seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors.... , Utah |
| 1946 1946 National Invitation Tournament The 1946 National Invitation Tournament was the 1946 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... |
Rhode Island University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West... |
Ernie Calverley Ernie Calverley Ernest A. "Ernie" Calverley was an American basketball guard for the University of Rhode Island. His famous "shot heard round the world," a midcourt shot, as time expired at Madison Square Garden in the National Invitation Tournament moved URI past Bowling Green State University into the semifinal... , Rhode Island |
| 1945 1945 National Invitation Tournament The 1945 National Invitation Tournament was the 1945 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
DePaul DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois... |
Bowling Green Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball The Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1968... |
George Mikan George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association... , DePaul |
| 1944 1944 National Invitation Tournament The 1944 National Invitation Tournament was the 1944 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
DePaul DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois... |
Bill Kotsores Bill Kotsores William "Bill" Kotsores was an American basketball player best known for his collegiate career at St. John's University in the 1940s. He played on the school's team during the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons... , St. John's |
| 1943 1943 National Invitation Tournament The 1943 National Invitation Tournament was the 1943 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
St. John's St. John's Red Storm men's basketball The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010... |
Toledo Toledo Rockets men's basketball The Toledo Rockets team is the basketball team that represent the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1980. Stan Joplin was released from his duties as... |
Harry Boykoff Harry Boykoff Harry J. Boykoff was a professional American basketball player. During his career he was often referred to as "Heshie", Big Hesh" and "Big Boy". He stood 6'10" tall.... , St. John's |
| 1942 1942 National Invitation Tournament The 1942 National Invitation Tournament was the 1942 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
West Virginia West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by... |
Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers currently compete in the Sun Belt Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2009... |
Rudy Baric, West Virginia |
| 1941 1941 National Invitation Tournament The 1941 National Invitation Tournament was the 1941 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Ohio Ohio Bobcats men's basketball The Ohio Bobcats men’s basketball team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 level... |
Frankie Baumholtz, Ohio |
| 1940 1940 National Invitation Tournament The 1940 National Invitation Tournament was the 1940 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 6 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Colorado Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Pacific-12 Conference.The Buffaloes have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Final Four twice , and... |
Duquesne Duquesne Dukes men's basketball The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament... |
Bob Doll Bob Doll Robert W. "Bob" Doll was an American basketball player who played in the early days of professional basketball for the St. Louis Bombers and Boston Celtics.... , Colorado |
| 1939 1939 National Invitation Tournament The 1939 National Invitation Tournament was the 1939 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 6 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket.... |
Long Island Long Island University Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:... |
Loyola Loyola Ramblers The Loyola Ramblers are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Horizon League of the NCAA Division I... |
Bill Lloyd, St. John's |
| 1938 1938 National Invitation Tournament The 1938 National Invitation Tournament was the 1938 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. It was the inaugural National Invitational Tournament and was won by Temple.-Selected teams:... |
Temple Temple Owls men's basketball The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:... |
Colorado Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Pacific-12 Conference.The Buffaloes have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Final Four twice , and... |
Don Shields, Temple |
See also
- NIT bids by school
- NIT championships and semifinal appearancesNIT championships and semifinal appearancesThis is a list of NIT champions and semifinal appearances by school. Schools whose names are italized are no longer in Division I, and can no longer be included in the tournament.Teams in bold are active in the 2011 National Invitation Tournament....
- NIT all-time team recordsNIT all-time team recordsThis is a list of NCAA National Invitation Tournament all-time records, as of 2010. Schools whose names are italicized are no longer in Division I, and can no longer be included in the tournament....