NIT 2012: Updated Bracket and Schedule for March 20

It wasn't quite "Upset Monday," but there was still plenty of excitement in the second round of the NIT tournament. The only higher seed to walk away with a victory was Stanford over Illinois State, but even that took overtime. 

On the flip side, Middle Tennessee and Minnesota were able to walk away with big road victories thanks to stifling defensive performances and efficient showings on offense. 

Now that we know what the quarterfinal games will be, it is time to look at the schedule and the match-ups you need to go out of your way to watch. 

MATCHUP	DATE, TIME	NETWORK
No. 3 Drexel vs. No. 5 Massachusetts	March 20, 7 p.m. ET	ESPN
No. 1 Washington vs. No. 3 Oregon	March 20, 9 p.m. ET	ESPN
No. 4 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 6 Minnesota	March 21, 7 p.m. ET	ESPN2
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 5 Nevada	March 21, 9 p.m. ET	ESPN2

Best Tuesday Quarterfinal Matchup: Washington vs. Oregon

The Huskies have been doing their best to show the world why they were the Pac-12 regular season champions. They have won their first two NIT games by a total of 31 points, including a dominating victory over Northwestern. 

Oregon has put on a show of it's own in the first two games. The Ducks have averaged 102 points in the NIT, which is an astounding number for college basketball. They aren't going to play a lot of defense, but in this tournament against teams that are close to their talent level, they will put up points with ease. 

Regardless of who wins, this will be a showcase for anyone that likes offensive fireworks. 

Best Wednesday Quarterfinal Matchup: Middle Tennessee vs. Minnesota

Of all the possible quarterfinal matchups, this could be the best one. Middle Tennessee and Minnesota are dynamic shooting teams. They won't light up the scoreboard because they are so methodical, but almost every shot will be a high percentage one. 

Middle Tennessee wears opponents out on the inside, especially with LeRon Dendy. Even Bruce Massey got in on the scoring action against Tennessee, with 20 points and 10 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting; he averaged 5.5 points in the regular season. 

Minnesota doesn't shoot it quite as well as Middle Tennessee, but the Golden Gophers have shown what they are capable of through the first two rounds. Don't be surprised to see them do it again Rodney Williams has become a star in  this tournament, with 20 points in both games.

Tuesday Predictions

No. 5 Massachusetts over No. 3 Drexel

Massachusetts has too much size and speed for the Dragons to keep up with for 40 minutes. Even a strong defensive effort won't be enough to push them over the top. 

No. 1 Washington over No. 3 Oregon

As impressive as Oregon's offensive has been in the NIT thus far, Washington will run all over the Ducks in this game. Tony Wroten will have the best game of the tournament, at least up to this point. 

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