NIT Tournament 2016: Updated Bracket and Quarterfinals Schedule

Doomsday swept the NIT bracket Monday ahead of the quarterfinals and also boasted what the tournament is all about.

There, two more No. 1 seeds went down, leaving only Valparaiso left standing. Monmouth, one of the most notable Big Dance snubs around, took an 87-71 beating at the hands of fourth-seeded George Washington.

No. 1 South Carolina out of the SEC suffered the same feat by getting slapped around by ACC opponent Georgia Tech, 83-66.

With those upsets, the NIT once again lived up to its reputation as a can't-miss tournament—an unpredictable one with the same thing to offer as the Big Dance, albeit on a smaller scale. With that in mind, here's a look at how the quarterfinals take shape.

NIT Bracket and Schedule 

Date	Time (ET)	TV	Matchup (Quarterfinals)
March 22	7 p.m.	ESPN	No. 1 Valparaiso vs. No. 2 St. Mary's
March 22	9 p.m.	ESPN	No. 2 BYU vs. No. 4 Creighton
March 23	7 p.m.	ESPN2	No. 2 Florida vs. No. 4 George Washington
March 23	9 p.m.	ESPN2	No. 2 San Diego St. vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech

Updated bracket can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. Full schedule and broadcast information are courtesy of NESN.com.

No. 1 Valparaiso vs. No. 2 St. Mary's

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The last No. 1 seed standing, Valparaiso has perhaps the toughest encounter the bracket could produce staring it in the face.

The Saint Mary's Gaels were one of the biggest snubs from the Big Dance. They rank 40th in ESPN's RPI rankings with a 6-3 mark against the RPI top 100, and they rank 15th in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.com.

Not that the Valparaiso Crusaders weren't a snub. They sit 49th in RPI with a 4-2 mark against the same competition, though their strength comes at the opposite end of the court with a 14th-place slot in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Call it the perfect chess match befit of a trip to the semifinals swinging in the balance.

Both teams looked strong in the second round to prep for this one. Saint Mary's got a 77-65 win over Georgia from the SEC, and it held the prolific Yante Maten to 12 points. Valparaiso crushed the ACC's Florida State 81-69 and boasted three starters with double-digit outputs, led by Alec Peters' game-high 26 points.

The Gaels look like one of the few teams in the bracket capable of working around the Crusaders defense. Four starters average double-digit points for an offense that averages a wow-worthy 17 assists and shoots 41 percent from deep.

Strong ball movement and an ability to knock down shots from long range is what will make the difference here. Valparaiso prides itself on defense, but it coughed up 73 points to eighth-seeded Texas Southern in the first round.

Look for the Gaels to gun their way to a win and dismiss the last top seed.

Prediction: Saint Mary's 78, Valparaiso 74

No. 2 BYU vs. No. 4 Creighton

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

The simple ride for the Creighton Bluejays ends against BYU. 

Creighton has taken care of business, but it got a huge assist when No. 1 St. Bonaventure went down at the hands of eighth-seeded Wagner to start the tournament. As such, all the Bluejays had to do was move past No. 5 Alabama in 72-54 fashion before smacking around an emotionally drained Wagner, 87-54.

Not to say the Bluejays don't stand a chance. But they rank 103rd in RPI with a 3-11 mark against the RPI top 100. BYU fared better, coming in 76th with a 4-6 mark against the same tier of competition.

The Bluejays will have to lean on a strong defense ranking 36th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com. Holding BYU in check isn't simple, though, not when the Cougars boast three players averaging 15 or more points and directing an offense averaging 84 points, 17 assists, 41 rebounds and shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

History might also play a large part in this contest. BYU hosts this encounter, something Greg Wrubell of ESPN 960 revealed is a major advantage:

This doesn't mean Creighton will come unprepared and get blown out of the water, not with Maurice Watson Jr. pacing the offense with his averages of 14.2 points and 6.5 assists.

But Creighton has yet to really hit a major test in the bracket through good fortune. Now it has to deal with something it hasn't been able to overcome in the past.

Down the stretch, BYU's potent offense will eventually overwhelm the Bluejays through spacing and an ability to hit shots.

Prediction: BYU 81, Creighton 75

Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com and KenPom.com.