NIT 2024: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Predictions Heading into Men's Semifinals
The Indiana State Sycamores and Seton Hall Pirates turned the disappointment of missing the NCAA men's basketball tournament into deep runs in the NIT.
Indiana State and Seton Hall were two of the "First Four Out" teams for the field of 68, but instead of giving up on their seasons, they are the favorites to reach the NIT final at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Sycamores are matched up with the Utah Utes, who like Indiana State and Seton Hall, won three games on their home floor to reach the semifinal.
Seton Hall is opposed by the Georgia Bulldogs, who pulled off consecutive road victories to reach Indianapolis.
The semifinals take place on Tuesday inside Butler's home building and the championship game will be played on Thursday.
NIT Semifinals Schedule
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Tuesday, April 2
Utah vs. Indiana State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Georgia vs. Seton Hall (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Utah vs. Indiana State
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Indiana State was the mid-major darling that college basketball fans fell in love with during the regular season.
But the Sycamores failed to reach the NCAA tournament because they lost to the Drake Bulldogs in the Missouri Valley tournament final.
That result combined with the emergence of bid stealers during Championship Week pushed Indiana State to the wrong side of the bubble.
Indiana State faced some difficulty in its NIT opener against the SMU Mustangs, but rallied to score 101 points and win by nine.
The Sycamores handled the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Cincinnati Bearcats to set up their third straight game versus a power-conference foe in Utah.
The Utes won all three of their NIT games by at least nine points in Salt Lake City. The run to Indianapolis finished with a 20-point win over the VCU Rams.
Utah could pose a matchup problem down low for Indiana State with Branden Carlson, who is one of the better shot blockers in the country. Carlson could neutralize the threat of Robbie Avila in Indiana State's frontcourt.
Indiana State should still be in good shape if Carlson takes Avila out of the game because it has four other players who average over 10 points per game. Three of those guards joined Avila in double figures in the win over Cincinnati.
Indiana State has enough scoring depth to absorb the potential loss caused by Utah's at-the-rim strength and that should power it into the championship game.
Prediction: Indiana State over Utah
Georgia vs. Seton Hall
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The second NIT semifinal has the potential to be an offensive spectacle.
Georgia and Seton Hall both eclipsed the 70-point mark in their three NIT victories and there are five players on both rosters who average over 12 points per game.
Seton Hall's guard trio of Kadary Richmond, Dre Davis and Al-Amir Dawes combined for 51 points in the quarterfinal win over UNLV.
The offense did not stop there as Seton Hall's two other starters reached double figures in points as well.
Seton Hall's guards could neutralize the threat of Georgia's Noah Thomasson, who scored 40 points in the last two games.
Georgia might be able to slow down one of Seton Hall's guards, but the scoring depth is the Pirates' X-factor, just like it is with Indiana State.
The Pirates and Sycamores are the two most well-rounded teams left in the NIT, and if that shows on Tuesday, they should meet in Thursday's title game.
Prediction: Seton Hall over Georgia
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