Welcome to The Holy Land of Hoops

This year's 16-team event will all be held in the DFW Metroplex to allow for a safe environment for participants

Because of the reduced field size, the bracket of the NIT will be populated via a selection process of at-large participants. This is different from previous years in which it has been filled with automatic qualifiers. Those teams will be announced on Sunday, March 14 on ESPNU by the NIT Committee at 8:30 p.m. ET -- shortly after the NCAA Tournament's Selection Show on CBS.

There's also a twist to all this that ties both tourneys together: the NCAA selection committee is planning to name four contingency teams to effectively be on standby for the NCAA Tournament. Those teams would rank 69th, 70th, 71st, and 72nd and just miss the main bracket. For practical purposes they would double as the top four seeded teams in the NIT. Should a team or teams be forced to bow out of the NCAA Tournament between Selection Sunday and Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET, those contingency team (or teams) would slot into their place.

The tournament itself will begin on Wednesday, March 17, and conclude with the semifinals and a championship game on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. A third-place game will also be played at the NIT for the first time since 2003 on March 28.

Rank • School • Conference • Overall W-L

35 • UConn • Big East • 12-6
36 • Oregon • Pac-12 • 17-5
37 • VCU • Atlantic 10 • 17-6
38 • Rutgers • Big Ten • 13-10
39 • UCLA • Pac-12 • 17-6
40 • Colorado State • Mountain West • 15-4

41 • Georgia Tech • ACC • 13-8
42 • Drake • MVC • 22-3
43 • Saint Louis • Atlantic 10 • 13-5
44 • Virginia Tech • ACC • 15-5
45 • North Carolina • ACC • 15-9
46 • Missouri • SEC • 14-7
47 • Louisville • ACC • 13-5
48 • Utah State • Mountain West • 15-7
49 • Arizona • Pac-12 • 17-9
50 • Xavier • Big East • 13-5

51 • UC Santa Barbara • Big West • 15-4
52 • Penn State • Big Ten • 8-13
53 • Seton Hall • Big East • 13-10
54 • SMU • AAC • 11-4
55 • Syracuse • ACC • 14-8
56 • Toledo • MAC • 19-6
57 • Indiana • Big Ten • 12-12
58 • Duke • ACC • 11-9
59 • Memphis • AAC • 14-6
60 • Ole Miss • SEC • 13-10

61 • North Texas • C-USA • 12-7
62 • Wright State • Horizon • 18-5
63 • Stanford • Pac-12 • 14-11
64 • Richmond • Atlantic 10 • 12-7
65 • Kentucky • SEC • 8-14
66 • Winthrop • Big South • 21-1
67 • Wichita State • AAC • 11-4
68 • Saint Mary's (CA) • WCC • 13-8
69 • Auburn • SEC • 12-13
70 • Minnesota • Big Ten • 13-12

71 • Davidson • Atlantic 10 • 11-7
72 • Louisiana Tech • C-USA • 19-6
73 • St. John's (NY) • Big East • 14-10
74 • Furman • SoCon • 13-8
75 • NC State • ACC • 12-9
76 • Marshall • C-USA • 13-6
77 • Michigan State • Big Ten • 13-10
78 • Western Kentucky. • C-USA • 17-5
79 • Providence • Big East • 12-11

80 • Mississippi State • SEC • 13-12
81 • Belmont • OVC • 23-3
82 • Liberty • ASUN • 16-5
83 • Notre Dame • ACC • 9-13
84 • Navy • Patriot • 15-2
85 • Buffalo • MAC • 11-7
86 • Dayton • Atlantic 10 • 13-8
87 • Abilene Christian • Southland • 15-4
88 • Marquette • Big East • 11-13

The race for the final NCAA tournament bids should have a little more juice than normal this year.

High-profile programs accustomed to vying for No. 1 seeds and national titles are fighting just to make the field of 68.

Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State are among the multitime national champions still fighting for a berth, making this year’s NCAA tournament bubble feel more Sak’s Fifth Avenue than Salvation Army. UConn, Indiana and Syracuse also have varying amounts of work left to do to have a chance to hear their names called on Selection Sunday 13 days from now.

Which of those half dozen powerhouse programs are most likely to sneak into the NCAA tournament? And which may be left deciding whether to accept an NIT bid? Below is a look at where each of those brand-name bubble teams stand heading into March.

CONNECTICUT (12-6, 9-6 Big East, NET: 36, KenPom: 29)

Marquee wins: USC, at Xavier

Damaging losses: St. John’s, at Providence

Remaining schedule: at Seton Hall, Georgetown

Since leading scorer James Bouknight returned from an elbow injury two weeks ago, UConn has surged back into NCAA tournament projections and performed like a team that can win a game or two. The Huskies have won four of five, the only loss coming at Big East-leading Villanova. Four of UConn’s losses came while Bouknight was sidelined, but the Huskies need to keep winning to atone for a resume largely devoid of marquee wins. They’re 0-3 against Villanova and Creighton so far this season. Their lone win over a surefire NCAA tournament team came by three points against mercurial USC way back on December 3.

Chances of an NCAA bid: Possible
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DUKE (11-9, 9-7 ACC, NET: 58, KenPom: 35) - Chances of an NCAA bid: Possible

INDIANA (12-12, 7-10 B1G, NET: 59, KenPom: 37) - Chances of an NCAA bid: Doubtful

MICHIGAN STATE (13-10, 7-10 B1G, NET: 68, KenPom: 62) - Chances of an NCAA bid: Possible

NORTH CAROLINA (15-8, 9-5 ACC, NET: 42, KenPom: 34) - Chances of an NCAA bid: Likely

SYRACUSE (13-8, 7-7 ACC, NET: 55, KenPom: 61) - Chances of an NCAA bid: Very doubtful

Latest Bracketology Predictions

Just because a bubble team doesn't make the NCAA men's basketball tournament doesn't necessarily mean they will play in the NIT. There have been teams in the past that have opted to decline their invitations and end their seasons without playing another postseason game. However, bracketology projections can give us an early idea of which teams could end up playing in the NIT.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Utah State, Saint Louis, Xavier and Memphis as his first four teams out of the March Madness field. Xavier's resume took a hit Wednesday, when the Musketeers lost to Butler in overtime in the first round of the Big East tournament.

At one point this season, Xavier was 11-2 and off to a strong start in Big East play, winning four of its first six conference games. Since then, the Musketeers have lost six of their past eight games, which could have them destined for the NIT for the second time in three years.

Lunardi then projects Ole Miss, Duke, Seton Hall and St. John's as his "next four out."

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports had Saint Louis, Syracuse, Ole Miss and Utah State as his first four teams out of the men's NCAA tournament. However, because his projections hadn't been updated after Xavier's loss Wednesday, that could change considering the Musketeers were one of his last four teams in.

Rank • School • Conference • Overall W-L • ( W-L vs. Quad 1 • W-L vs. Quad 2 )

40 • Syracuse • ACC • 16-9 • ( 1-7 • 6-1 )
41 • Clemson • ACC • 16-7 • ( 3-6 • 7-0 )
42 • Penn State • Big Ten • 11-14 • ( 3-12 • 5-1 )
43 • Drake • MVC • 23-4 • ( 1-2 • 5-0 )
44 • Arizona • Pac-12 • 17-9 • ( 2-4 • 3-4 )
45 • Saint Louis • Atlantic 10 • 14-6 • ( 2-3 • 2-1 )
46 • Missouri • SEC • 16-9 • ( 7-6 • 2-3 )
47 • UCLA • Pac-12 • 17-9 • ( 2-6 • 3-3 )
48 • Virginia Tech • ACC • 15-6 • ( 2-3 • 3-3 )
49 • Duke • ACC • 13-11 • ( 2-5 • 5-4 )

50 • Boise State • Mountain West • 17-8 • ( 2-4 • 2-3 )
51 • Colorado State • Mountain West • 17-6 • ( 2-4 • 1-2 )
52 • Memphis • AAC • 16-7 • ( 0-3 • 4-3 )
53 • Ole Miss • SEC • 16-11 • ( 3-5 • 4-4 )
54 • Winthrop • Big South • 23-1 • ( 0-0 • 2-0 )
55 • UC Santa Barbara • Big West • 19-4 • ( 0-0 • 2-4 )
56 • Louisville • ACC • 13-7 • ( 1-6 • 6-0 )
57 • Seton Hall • Big East • 14-13 • ( 3-8 • 4-4 )
58 • Davidson • Atlantic 10 • 12-8 • ( 0-4 • 4-2 )
59 • Xavier • Big East • 13-8 • ( 1-3 • 5-4 )

60 • Kentucky • SEC • 9-16 • ( 3-11 • 3-4 )
61 • Indiana • Big Ten • 12-15 • ( 2-12 • 7-2 )
62 • North Texas • C-USA • 15-9 • ( 0-3 • 2-2 )
63 • Saint Mary's (CA) • WCC • 14-9 • ( 0-6 • 4-2 )
64 • Wichita State • AAC • 14-4 • ( 2-3 • 2-1 )
65 • SMU • AAC • 11-5 • ( 0-3 • 4-0 )
66 • Auburn • SEC • 13-14 • ( 1-9 • 5-3 )
67 • Toledo • MAC • 21-8 • ( 1-2 • 2-2 )
68 • Richmond • Atlantic 10 • 12-8 • ( 3-4 • 2-0 )
69 • St. John's (NY) • Big East • 16-11 • ( 2-6 • 4-3 )

70 • Michigan State • Big Ten • 15-12 • ( 5-11 • 4-1 )
71 • Wright State • Horizon • 18-6 • ( 0-0 • 0-0 )
72 • Buffalo • MAC • 15-7 • ( 0-1 • 1-2 )
73 • NC State • ACC • 13-10 • ( 1-7 • 3-2 )
74 • Furman • SoCon • 13-9 • ( 0-2 • 1-4 )
75 • Minnesota • Big Ten • 14-15 • ( 4-11 • 3-3 )
76 • Georgetown • Big East • 12-12 • ( 2-9 • 5-1 )
77 • Louisiana Tech • C-USA • 20-7 • ( 1-2 • 1-2 )
78 • Stanford • Pac-12 • 14-13 • ( 4-6 • 1-5 )
79 • Dayton • Atlantic 10 • 14-9 • ( 3-2 • 3-4 )

Hall2012 wrote:Seton Hall, St. John's and Xavier have all declined.