NIT 2012: Early Predictions for Next Year's Tournament

The 2012 NIT tournament wrapped up last night in New York City. Minnesota was blown out by Stanford, losing by 24 points. The game was never close, and at one point, Minnesota was down by 30. Let us all hope that the NCAA tournament final is closer than that on Monday night. 

There was once a day that the NIT tournament was bigger than the NCAA tournament, they do play the Final Four games of the NIT at Madison Square Garden for a reason. Those days are ancient history now, and the NIT is nowhere near as important as the NCAA tourney.

The NIT is entertaining to watch because it is still college basketball. Without the NIT, fanbases would have to accept the fact that their teams' last game of the season was probably a disappointing loss to a rival in their conference tournament.This is never an easy pill to swallow for any big-time college hoops fan and must be even harder for the players and coaching staffs.

It also represents a good way for seniors on teams who did not qualify for the NCAA tournament to prolong their collegiate careers. One of the cruelest things about college basketball is how college careers end when the final buzzer sounds. Only one team will leave happy, only one team's seniors will put on their schools jersey again. The NIT allows seniors to represent their school, playing the sport they love for at least a little while longer.

The tournament also represents a good time for young teams to gain experience as a team in a single elimination format. Younger teams could use a good NIT run as a leaping point to a NCAA tournament bid next year. 

In today's college basketball world, rosters fluctuate greatly on a yearly basis. Players can no longer go straight from high school to the NBA. This rule causes many players go to college for a year or two before declaring for the draft. 

For example, take a look at North Carolina's roster from this season and compare it to its expected roster for next season. It lost Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and John Henson early to the NBA; pair that with the graduation of Zeller, and it is apparent that it will need a new set of players to emerge.

Is it possible that the Tarheels or another marquee program will be participating in the NIT next year?

There is a strong chance that a big name program could be watching the NCAA tournament from their couch and that is what makes previewing the NIT fun.

No team in the nation starts its training camps hoping for a NIT bid, for the more prestigious basketball schools having to play in the NIT marks the season as a failure.

A first-round exit in the NCAA tournament is viewed by most as a better result than winning the entire NIT tournament. 

Next year's edition will have a more competitive championship game, that much is likely.

The real question is what two teams will be playing?

And even better, will either of those teams be happy to be there?

If it is a major program with a strong basketball history, then the answer will be a resounding no, especially from the fanbase. 

The NIT represents one of the more ironic events in all of sports. It pits 32 teams against each other, all of whom are disappointed that they missed out on the real "Big Dance."

The NIT teams who watch the actual Final Four teams do battle will be lamenting the fact that they did not receive a bid. But at least the seniors for the NIT teams got to play the game they loved a little longer, and that is the beauty of the NIT.