NIT 2012: Complete Predictions for Both Games in Semifinals

A field of 32 has been trimmed down to four and the survivors will head to Madison Square Garden for the NIT's final two rounds. College basketball's secondary tournament had its fair share of March Madness, with only a single No. 1 seed making the semifinals.

Let's take a look at both games in the semifinal round and predict which teams will advance for a chance to play for the NIT championship.

Washington vs. Minnesota

Washington appeared destined to receive an NCAA berth before a shocking loss to Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies have seemingly used that as motivation as they have cruised into the semifinals with only one close game.

Star guard Tony Wroten got back on track against Oregon after some lackluster performances. Washington needs him to keep performing at a high level if it plans on running the table. They don't have enough depth to beat good teams without his normal scoring input.

On the flip side, the Golden Gophers have been the tournament's best underdog team. They have emerged as a legitimate threat to take home the title even though they were only given a No. 6 seed. Their big-game experience from the Big Ten has helped immensely.

Minnesota lost Trevor Mbakwe, the team's main offensive threat, early in the season, but have been able to survive his loss thanks to balanced scoring. Rodney Williams is the only player averaging more than 10 points per contest.

It's an interesting matchup between a team that was expected to be here against the most surprising semifinal team. I expect the Golden Gophers to keep their run alive.

Prediction: Minnesota 74, Washington 71

Massachusetts vs. Stanford

No team's run to the semifinals has been most impressive than that of Massachusetts. The Minutemen have knocked off Mississippi State, Drexel and top-seeded Seton Hall—all of which were contenders—to reach this point.

Chaz Williams leads the way at 17 points per game and is really the engine that drives the Minutemen. The versatile guard sets the tone by creating offense, whether it be outside jumpers or getting into the lane for easy buckets. Without him, they wouldn't be in this spot.

Stanford, which crushed a formidable Nevada squad to punch its ticket to MSG, has a star of its own in Chasson Randle. One of the nation's most underrated freshmen, Randle has paced the Cardinal with 14 points and more than two three-pointers per game.

Senior big man Josh Owens will need to be on the top of his game, as well. Since the Cardinal don't have much depth in front, it's important for Owens to keep playing solid defense and stay out of foul trouble to limit UMass' edge in the paint.

Credit the Minutemen for an impressive run, but Stanford's quarterfinal win was so dominant that it's tough to pick against them. Look for them to advance to the title game.

Prediction: Stanford 76, Massachusetts 70