NIT 2012: Washington Huskies' Disappointing Season Sure to Continue

After getting their NCAA bubble burst at the 11th hour and barely missing the big dance, the Washington Huskies' disappointing season will only continue in the 2012 NIT.

It's rare that a conference winner doesn't make it into the NCAA tournament, and the Huskies are upset about it, to say the least.

They are favored by most to win the NIT as a consolation. 

Not by me, though.

I'm predicting that Washington will easily win their opening-round matchup against Texas-Arlington, but they will run into trouble when they face Northwestern in the second round of the NIT.

Though Northwestern finished the year with a record of 18-13, they didn't play as badly as it may seem.

Colin Becht of the New York Times summed this up nicely in a recent column:

"

After an 18-13 season highlighted by an 81-74 upset of then-No. 6 Michigan State – the Spartans earned a No. 1 seed in the N.C.A.A. tournament – Northwestern’s penchant for close losses proved to be the downfall in its hopes for receiving a tournament bid. The Wildcats lost seven games by fewer than 6 points or in overtime, leaving them with just a 1-10 record against the top 50 of the Rating Percentage Index.

"

Washington won't stand a chance against these Wildcats. They feature a couple of deadly scorers, John Shurna and Drew Crawford, who have played in five NIT tournaments already between them.

The youth and inexperience of the Huskies will hurt them, and in the end, they'll fall to the more battle-tested team.

Terrance Ross and Tony Wroten, while fantastic young players, will whither under the bright lights and lose their shooting touch.

Northwestern will put up more of a fight than Washington will be able to handle, and they will find themselves once again dispatched rather quickly from another tournament.

Perhaps next season will be more kind to Washington. 

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