NIT 2015: Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket Predictions for Wednesday's 1st Round

The NIT may not be the most desired postseason destination for many of the nation's teams, as a berth in the tournament means missing out on the Big Dance. However, its competitors are all aiming to finish their seasons on a high note, and some compelling college hoops is the end result.

Things got underway Tuesday, as nine teams advanced to the second round of competition. Wednesday's action will propel seven more teams deeper into the tournament, and the NIT's top seeded squads—the first four out of the NCAA tournament—will be taking the hardwood. Expect them to play with chips on their shoulders.

So, before the remainder of Round 1 plays out, let's take a look at Wednesday's first-round schedule and viewing information, followed by predictions for every contest.

NIT Day 2 Schedule and Predictions

Date	Time (ET)	TV	Matchup	Pick
March 18	7 p.m.	ESPN3	Bucknell at Temple	Temple
March 18	7 p.m.	ESPN2	Arizona State at Connecticut	Connecticut
March 18	7:15 p.m.	ESPN3	Charleston Southern at Old Dominion	Old Dominion
March 18	7:30 p.m.	ESPN3	St. Francis Brooklyn at Richmond	Richmond
March 18	8 p.m.	ESPNU	Green Bay at Illinois State	Green Bay
March 18	9 p.m.	ESPN2	Vanderbilt at St. Mary's (Calif.)	Vanderbilt
March 18	10 p.m.	ESPNU	South Dakota State at Colorado State	Colorado State

Live Stream: WatchESPN

The tournament bracket can be found at NCAA.com.

Matchup to Watch

No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 5 Arizona State

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Both Connecticut and Arizona State are coming off disappointing finishes to the season. The Huskies went on a great run during the AAC tournament, only to lose to SMU in the final and lose all hope of earning a berth in the Big Dance. The Sun Devils earned a few quality wins during the season, but inconsistency plagued the team, and a bad loss to USC in the Pac-12 tournament was the end result.

Needless to say, both of these squads will be looking for some redemption on Wednesday.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The Huskies are a far different team from the Shabazz Napier-led group that took the nation by storm in 2014. They no longer have the versatile shooting presence on the offensive end of the court and rely mainly on a solid defense to generate wins.

Connecticut features some nice size on the inside in 7'0" center Amida Brimah and 6'10" forward Phillip Nolan. Guard Ryan Boatright has been terrific in the backcourt this season, leading the team with 17.4 points per game, and he's complemented nicely by Rodney Purvis.

Keep a close eye on Boatright's availability for the contest, as Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant tweeted the guard is questionable with a shoulder injury:

Aside from Boatright's availability, the biggest issue for this team is its lack of offensive contributions from its big men. While Brimah is a fantastic defensive player, he and Nolan must step up to support Boatright on a more consistent basis to combat more well-rounded teams—that facet will be tested against the Sun Devils.

Arizona State isn't great at anything, but the team is good across the board. It doesn't have the most prolific shooters, but the team gets it done on the offensive end of the court due to a nice frontcourt featuring Shaquielle McKissic and Savon Goodman.

McKissic is the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.0 points per game. He has good range but can be streaky, as a cold spell could last the duration of a game. Goodman is undersized, but his athleticism allows him to flourish down low, as he averages 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

The team's main defensive big man is 6'10" forward Eric Jacobsen. The junior averages 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and when he can get going on the offensive end of the court, the Sun Devils begin to show their true potential.

The theme of this impending contest surrounds the frontcourts of these squads. The team that can involve its big men early and often will be able to control the pace of the game and likely force its opponent to play from behind. Due to its better size and depth in that area, the nod here goes to Connecticut.

Prediction: Connecticut