NIT 2012 Bracket: Breaking Down Sleeper Teams in Each Region

While the NIT isn't exactly a team's first choice of postseason tournaments to play in, it does give them a chance to keep their season going. Since the field is just 32 teams and they are all pretty evenly matched, you will see more lower seeds advancing to the later rounds. 

The big boy in the field of 32 is Washington. The regular season Pac-12 champions bombed in the conference tournament, which cost them a spot in the NCAA tournament. But they are stacked with talent, so there is no reason to think they won't win the NIT. 

We aren't interested in that. Anyone can tell you that a No. 1 seed is going to win, but we want to find the best sleepers in each region. 

Top-Right Region 

Northwestern Wildcats

The Wildcats missed out on the NCAA tournament because of a poor showing at the end of the year, but their overall body of work is impressive. They were able to defeat Michigan State in the regular season, which is a nice feather in their cap. 

While the regular season doesn't count now, there are signs that this team is prepared to make noise in the NIT. They are an underrated shooting team, with the ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court. 

They can't get into a scoring battle with opposing teams, but as long as they dictate the tempo, they will be fine. 

Top-Left Region 

Valparaiso Crusaders

The best attribute for Valpo is its ability to shoot the ball. The Crusaders are the best shooting team in this field, hitting over 47 percent of their shots. 

Despite their high-percentage shooting, the Crusaders don't have great athletes. That is why they have to play a slower style in order to win. When they are forced to run, they lose energy early and make mistakes late in games. 

They are in an easy bracket; all the Crusaders have to worry about is getting past a hot-and-cold Miami team in the first round. If they do that, they should cruise into the Final Four. 

Bottom-Right Region

Mississippi State Bulldogs

A late-season swoon that saw the Bulldogs lose six of their last eight games took the shine off what was turning into a solid year. 

They beat Tennessee and Vanderbilt, two of the top teams in the SEC, during the regular season. 

Arnett Moultrie could end up being the star of this tournament. At 6'11", he has the size to play inside, but at just 230 pounds, he can control the ball up the court. He is lethal whenever he touches it, so look for him to take over each game that he plays. 

Bottom-Left Region

Bucknell Bison

Giving the Bison a No. 8 seed is a joke. This team challenged itself during the regular season, with games against Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Syracuse. Yes, they lost all those games, but they wanted to take the risk, which is more than you can say for a lot of teams.  

One of the biggest advantages they have over other teams in their region is size. Mike Muscala and Joe Willman are two of the best and most productive big men in the country. 

If you can control the paint in March, you can control the game. The Bison will be able to exert their will in the middle when the games start. 

Here is the official NIT bracket from the NCAA website.

Follow @adamwells1985