NIT 2015: Bracket, Times, Dates, Live Streaming and TV Schedule

The college basketball world waited with bated breath as the full bracket for the National Invitation Tournament was unveiled on Sunday.

What's that? The NIT wasn't the postseason tournament everybody was excited for?

It's no secret that the NIT plays second fiddle to the NCAA tournament, sort of like where the Europa League is in relation to the Champions League in European soccer. Few teams aim to qualify for the NIT, and it's littered with those whose dreams of dancing in March were dashed by the selection committee.

With that said, winning a postseason tournament—even if it's the NIT—is better than winning no postseason tournament at all. And who doesn't want to play a final inside a legendary venue like Madison Square Garden?

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander posted this year's NIT bracket:

"

For the hipsters out there, here’s the NIT field. pic.twitter.com/zlHRloGd12

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 16, 2015"

A printable NIT bracket is also available on NCAA.com for those fans inclined to create an NIT pool.

The first round of the tournament will run through March 17 and 18, with the full slate of games in the table below.

Date	Matchup	TV Info
Tuesday, March 17
7 p.m.	Rhode Island vs. Iona	ESPNU
7 p.m.	Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina Central	ESPN2
7 p.m.	Pittsburgh vs. George Washington	ESPN
7:30 p.m.	Louisiana Tech vs. Central Michigan	ESPN3
8:15 p.m.	Tulsa vs. William & Mary	ESPN3
9 p.m.	Illinois vs. Alabama	ESPN
9 p.m.	Murray State vs. UTEP	ESPN2
9 p.m.	Texas A&M vs. Montana	ESPNU
11 p.m.	Stanford vs. UC Davis	ESPN2
Wednesday, March 18
7 p.m.	Temple vs. Bucknell	ESPN3
7 p.m.	Connecticut vs. Arizona State	ESPN2
7:15 p.m.	Old Dominion vs. Charleston Southern	ESPN3
7:30 p.m.	Richmond vs. St. Francis	ESPN3
8 p.m.	Illinois State vs. Green Bay	ESPNU
9 p.m.	Saint Mary's vs. Vanderbilt	ESPN2
10 p.m.	Colorado State vs. South Dakota State	ESPNU

The second round of the tournament begins on March 20 and goes until March 23. The quarterfinals start a day later and wrap up on March 25.

The four remaining teams will head to New York City for the semifinals, which kick off on March 31. The two finalists will then compete inside the Garden on April 2.

These three teams all have a great shot to get to the "Big Apple" come the end of the month.

Top NIT Title Contenders

Murray State Racers

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Many college basketball fans were disappointed to see the Murray State Racers fail in their bid for an NCAA tournament spot. Once Murray State fell to Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference title game, that all but sealed the team's fate. The team's nonconference resume was pretty damning.

ESPN's Dick Vitale went to bat for the Racers in a big way after their perceived snub (via Sporting News' Jasmine Watkins). He vehemently argued that a team that won 25 games in a row should get into the Big Dance.

Vitale and ESPN colleague Jay Bilas went at it, with Bilas defending his stance on Twitter:

Whatever your opinion on Murray State's merits, the NCAA tournament's loss is the NIT's gain. The Racers should be one of the most fun teams to watch in the event.

According to KenPom.com, the Racers rank 17th in adjusted offense—they're the best offensive team not in the NCAA tourney. They're scoring nearly 80 points a game, and sophomore Cameron Payne has averaged 20 a night this year.

The program has never won a postseason tournament title outside of its conference. This is a great opportunity for Murray State to get that first trophy and prove its doubters wrong in the process.

Connecticut Huskies

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

The Connecticut Huskies have had quite a fall since their title triumph one year ago. They won't be able to defend their national championship as the selection committee deemed them unworthy of earning an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament:

For some teams, the step down from the Big Dance to NIT would be demoralizing and lead to a crippling bout of apathy.

Huskies head coach Kevin Ollie isn't of that mindset, per Neill Ostrout of the Journal Inquirer in Manchester, Connecticut:

Sophomore guard Rodney Purvis firmly has his eyes on the prize, per Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant:

Although Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels are obviously gone, plenty of players from last year's team remain. The likes of Purvis, Ryan Boatright, Amida Brimah and Omar Calhoun are well-versed in the pressure cooker that is March basketball.

UConn doesn't excel in any one aspect of the game, but the Huskies' overall balance and tournament experience will make them one of the top contenders for the NIT.

Colorado State Rams

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

The Colorado State Rams should enter the NIT with a massive chip on their shoulder. They arguably built a strong enough resume to get into the NCAA tournament, but the selection committee elected to leave them out.

USA Today's Eric Prisbell called the decision "absurd":

What galled many college basketball followers was the inclusion of the UCLA Bruins, who look the clearly inferior side when matched up head to head with the Rams. ESPN's Jeff Borzello was one of many who couldn't see the logic in placing the Bruins ahead of Colorado State:

Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post argued that the Rams were ultimately undone by their poor nonconference schedule:

Head coach Larry Eustachy and his players can look at this slight in one of two ways. Either they can rue their bad luck and pout their way to an early exit, or they can use their anger as motivation to prove they belong in the national discussion.

A strong run in the NIT might provide long-term dividends, helping Colorado State pass the eye test next year if it's sitting on the NCAA tournament bubble once again.

Note: All NIT games will be available to live stream at Watch ESPN.

Check out B/R's Free Bracket Challenge for this year's NCAA tournament.