NIT 2012 Bracket: Washington Huskies Prove They Belonged in NCAA Tournament

The Washington Huskies are well on their way to tearing the NIT field to shreds.

The last time I wrote about the Huskies, I said they'd fail miserably and show why they didn't deserve to make it into the NCAA tournament.

What can I say?

I was wrong.

Their recent strong play makes me believe the committee missed out when they picked California to go to the NCAA tournament and left the Huskies to the NIT.

After surviving a scare in the first round against UT-Arlington, the Huskies dispatched their second-round opponent in brutal fashion, holding them to just 55 points and winning by 21 points.

Terrence Ross has been huge for Washington, scoring 23 and 32 points in the last two games. 

They now await the winner of the Oregon vs. Iowa matchup and will be ready for either one in the third round.

One of the reasons they are playing so well is that they aren't all looking to score. Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten are excellent distributors who care more about setting things up for their fabulous shooters than about scoring themselves.

Via CBSsports.com, Wroten was recently asked how he felt about not getting many shots: 

"

It's never about me. I'm just trying to help my team, trying to become more of a point guard. We have great scorers. There's no need for me to take many shots when we're playing that good.

"

With that kind of attitude and with Ross and C.J. Wilcox starting to catch fire, Washington is going to destroy the competition the rest of the way on to an NIT championship trophy.

The Huskies will win the NIT tournament, proving once and for all that they should have been invited to the Big Dance.

Follow @JesseReed78