NIT 2012: Drexel and Washington Bound for NIT Clash in Finals

Don't close the book on Drexel and Washington, because there is plenty fight left in these two NIT favorites that are primed for glory. 

The NCAA did college basketball fans a favor when they snubbed Washington and Drexel, giving us two teams that will play the rest of March as though they have something to prove. 

As if playing against some invisible antagonist, these two teams will be playing to defeat the selection committee with reputation and a dramatic finish. 

The only way to prove you were indeed snubbed is to run the table in the NIT, and that is precisely what I have these two teams doing in their eventual clash in the finals.

Washington Huskies

The Huskies should get out of initial play with relative ease but then face some stiff competition in Oregon and possibly Dayton or Tennessee. 

None of these teams can match wits with the Huskies when they are rolling. 

The biggest reason is an unrelenting backcourt that can put teams on their heels and keep them there. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten give the Huskies a devastating one-two punch that is tough to defeat. 

Ross averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 boards per game while Wroten averaged 16.7 points in the regular season.  

Both are stars that can surge in production at any point and are among the hardest working in the nation. This includes hitting the boards and doing the little things that matter. When you have Aziz N'Diaye down low as a defensive stopper, the Huskies are tough to beat. 

Drexel Dragons

Drexel comes in as one of the bigger snubs from the NCAA tournament. It's tough to argue that a team with a 19-game winning streak would be on the outs with the NCAA, or would be a No. 3 seed in the NIT. 

The Dragons are a dangerous team after losing a bitter fight to VCU in the CAA tournament. It was a game that Drexel fought back from as much as a 16-point lead. 

The Dragons like to lead from the front and can get hot from beyond the arc. Lead by Frantz Massenat who averaged over 13 points in the regular season, Drexel should find their way to the later rounds, facing the biggest hurdle in Seton Hall. 

The Dragons are the kin of team you hate to face with a backcourt that can be deadly. Damion Lee is coming off four straight games of double-digit production and will make this tandem hard to manage. 

Drexel and Washington are out for redemption, and will get it with two dynamic NIT runs. 

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