NIT Scores 2012: Minnesota Must Overcome Long Odds to Beat Washington

The oddsmakers have spoken, and Vegas has decreed that Washington is the most likely victor to emerge from the NIT. That, of course, spells bad news for Minnesota, which earned the right to face the Huskies in the semifinals after beating Middle Tennessee 78-72 on Wednesday.

The Huskies, the top seed in the tournament, seem to be dead set on proving they were overlooked for an at-large bid to the Big Dance, and Minnesota will represent another small obstacle on their road to redemption.

Washington has never won an NIT before and comes into the matchup 9-6 all-time against the Gophers. The Las Vegas odds say the Huskies are favored to win at plus-200, while the Gophers have the longest shot at victory at plus-550.

The Gophers have played good basketball of late, but they continue to have trouble convincing doubters that their six-game losing streak in mid-February was a fluke. Since losing to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament, Minnesota has taken down La Salle, Miami and Middle Tennessee en route to the NIT semifinals, winning by an average margin of 11 points.

Rodney Williams and Andre Hollins stepped up for Minnesota on Wednesday with 24 points each to complement the efforts of Elliott Eliason, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. However, beating Washington next week would require spectacular performances from all of them.

The Huskies struggled at the beginning of the tournament to hide their disappointment at being overlooked by the NCAA selection committee, sneaking by Texas-Arlington in the first round, 82-72. They rebounded quickly with a 76-55 drubbing of Northwestern and outlasted Oregon 90-86 to earn their second trip to Madison Square Garden this season.

Now that they've accepted their fate and let go of the disappointment they felt a couple of weeks ago, Washington is completely focused on winning.

Freshman guard Tony Wroten told the Associated Press, "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.'"

After the tribulations this season has presented, Washington needs a little excitement. With only two wins standing in between the Huskies and a championship, their focus is bound to be sharper than ever.