NIT 2012 Bracket: Seton Hall and More Locks to Go Deep in Tournament

The Seton Hall Pirates were robbed of a 2012 NCAA tournament appearance and given the consolation prize of a No. 1 seed in the NIT.

You can see Seton Hall’s region and the rest of the bracket right here.

While this isn’t what the team was looking for or expecting after a 20-12 year in which it beat No. 8 ranked Georgetown and UConn and started out 15-2.  However, the Pirates' stumble down the stretch doomed them and an early exit to Louisville in the Big East tournament was the nail in the coffin.

Now the Pirates are poised to make a deep run through the NIT and end their season on a positive note.

They have an easy matchup against Stony Brook to start the competition off before it gets a bit tougher against either Mississippi State or UMass.

However, this Seton Hall squad is angry about being snubbed and will take out their aggression on their opponents.

In an Associated Press story, it was rough for the Pirate seniors, which will give them extra motivation, according to coach Kevin Willard.

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My two seniors (Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope) took it hard. Really hard. It was tough to console them, because it was a really emotional time for both of them. They both gave so much this year to us, and both have come through so much at this university.

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Here are some other teams that also have a chance to make some noise in the NIT.

Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes are a good program that beat Duke and Florida State, two top-seeded NCAA tournament teams.

Their interior presence and overall all-around game will help them beat up on some of the lesser foes in this event.

St. Joseph’s

The Hawks were bound to head to the tournament as the A-10’s automatic bid, but were routed by St. Bonaventure before the finals of the conference tourney.

They’ll settle for an NIT spot and should do quite well.