NIT 2012: Drexel, Ole Miss and Schools Looking to Prove the NCAA Wrong

While the 2012 NCAA tournament is the king of kings, the NIT is one of the best places for a school to ensure its place in next year’s March Madness.

The winner of the NIT has the inside lane to be in the 2013 NCAA tourney, but it’s important for teams to just focus on their task at hand.

Teams like Drexel and Ole Miss are searching for redemption. Whether they find it or not is up to them.

Drexel

As much as the Drexel Dragons deserved the honor of being asked to play in the NCAA tournament, there is no better way to prove the doubters wrong than by stealing the show and winning the NIT tourney.

It was ultimately the Dragons strength of schedule that did them in, but their lack of superior opponents won’t be a problem in the NIT tournament. This is Drexel’s chance to run the table.

If Drexel can get sophomore guard Frantz Massenat going in all facets of the game, he will lead the Dragons on a deep run and possibly to an NIT title.

Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Rebels bring that SEC football attitude to the court with them, playing stellar defense that can stifle almost any team in the nation. The problem is they have no real offense.

While being 25th in the nation in rebounding shows the team’s tenacity and toughness, their 210th ranked offense makes it hard to take the team serious. That’s why they’re playing in the NIT and not the NCAA tourney.

If Ole Miss wants to make a run at an NIT title, they need a senior like Terrance Henry to step up and give the program a huge boost in his final game as a rebel.

Washington

One of the biggest frauds of the entire NCAA tournament selection process this season was the exclusion of the Washington Huskies.

With NIT glory the first step to redemption, the Huskies must use their stellar offense and intense rebounding to put them over the edge. While the NIT competition is not as tough as the NCAA’s, Washington’s lack of stellar defense will be an issue.

If the Huskies can stick to the defensive game plan while getting freshman Tony Wroten on an offensive roll, Washington will make a serious run towards the NIT title.

Check back for more on the NCAA Basketball as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s College Basketball Page to get your fill of college basketball.

Follow @Donald_Wood