NIT 2012 Scores: Washington Huskies Winning Back Reputation with Title Run

It's better late than never for the Washington Huskies, who are rolling through the NIT on their way to the championship—a prize that will serve to bring back a modicum of respect for the program. 

With a backcourt that would have delighted in the madness of March, the Huskies have cruised through the initial rounds of the NIT tournament and just took down the Oregon Ducks, 90-86. 

They dispatched of Texas-Arlington to open the tourney and then cruised by Northwestern. Then came what would be the biggest test for the Huskies. 

If Washington was going to win it all, they had to get passed a dangerous Oregon Ducks team that has proved prolific in the past. 

The same formula was used to get over on the Oregon Ducks and keep the dream of redemption alive. The Huskies once again relied on Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten, who proved they were just as hungry as if they were playing deep into the NCAA Tournament. 

It doesn't pay to mope or even ponder what could have been because there is only one thing the Huskies can still guarantee, and that is hoisting a title at the end of an up and down season. 

The Huskies were left for dead before coming on strong to close out the season. Losing out on the Pac-12 bid left a bitter taste in the mouths of some very good players, and you can tell that Ross and Wroten are dying to make some good of their efforts. 

Ross has 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting while Wroten chipped in with 22 points on 6-for-15 from the field. The Huskies were not about to be turned away, not again. 

The NCAA snub is still fresh in the air, but those feelings are certainly being extinguished. Tony Wroten said as much, per ESPN. 

"Once the NIT selection was done coach was telling us that, `I know you don't want to be here but if you keep winning it's going to get more and more exciting.'"

If you want to know what this team is looking for now, it's really quite simple. Terrence Ross spells it out after another exciting win, via ESPN. 

"We're still upset that we get a (NCAA) bid and could have, but we all forgot about it and focused on this championship that we're after."

It's as deep as ripping back redemption and as simple as hoisting some hardware after a trying season. Either way, the Huskies are finally starting to have fun. 

When you are as talented as this team is, combining passion and frivolity is a dangerous combination for the rest of the field. 

A full breakdown of the NIT Bracket including scores can be found at the CBS Sports website. 

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