NIT Bracket 2014: Last-Minute Preview for SMU vs. Minnesota

Larry Brown is one step closer to adding another accolade to his Hall of Fame resume.

The Southern Methodist head coach has never won a National Invitation Tournament title during his eight previous years at the collegiate level, but the Mustangs have a chance to deliver one on Thursday night.

The importance of this game isn't lost on Brown, who said he has held an affinity for the NIT since childhood, per SMU's official site:

"

I grew up realizing how great the NIT was. Fran Fraschilla (former coach and current ESPN broadcaster) explained it to our kids and Bobby Knight (former Army, Indiana and Texas Tech coach and current ESPN broadcaster) talked about it as well. It's a phenomenal opportunity for our program and for our kids to play in this environment.

"

The Mustangs take on Minnesota in Madison Square Garden.

The Golden Gophers are led by first-year head coach Richard Pitino, son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. The elder Pitino made the NIT semifinals in 1986 with Providence before taking the Friars to the Final Four in 1987.

Richard will no doubt like to follow in his father's footsteps, using this tournament as a springboard to bigger and better things.

Both CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein and ESPN's Fran Fraschilla used that word when describing what winning the NIT could mean for both schools as a whole:

Will this be the christening of an emerging star in the coaching ranks (Pitino) or another jewel in the crown of a legend (Brown)?

When: Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

NIT Bracket

You can view the full bracket with the results from each of the four previous rounds here.

Key Storylines

Which SMU Will Show Up?

Sharon Ellman

The Mustangs' poor finish to the regular season pretty much cost them a place in the NCAA tournament. SMU lost to Louisville and Memphis before falling to Houston in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament.

Brown's team has since regained its footing in the NIT. SMU's two-point victory over California seems to signal that the Mustangs are past their issues of inconsistency and have their eyes firmly focused on the prize.

Much will depend on the performance of sophomore Nic Moore. In SMU's nine losses, he's averaging 12.2 points a game on 42.7 percent shooting. In his team's 27 wins, those numbers are 13.9 points and 47.9 percent, respectively. In addition, his three-point shooting percentage is 36.1 percent in losses and 46.8 percent in wins.

Will Health of Elliott Eliason Become a Factor?

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Yesterday, Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press reported that Minnesota center Elliott Eliason was listed as questionable for the NIT final.

Pitino said that the team won't be taking any unnecessary risks with the junior center:

Although Eliason is only scoring 5.1 points a night, his contributions in the paint have been invaluable. He leads the team in rebounds (6.7) and blocks (2.0) per game.

SMU's Markus Kennedy can be a handful in the post. The sophomore forward is averaging 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds a night. He scored 21 points in the win over Clemson and 19 points against California in the quarterfinals.

If Eliason isn't ready to go, or at least isn't at 100 percent, Kennedy could have his way inside against the Golden Gophers. Should that happen, Minnesota would be in big trouble.

Note: All stats are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.