NIT 2015: Bracket and Schedule for Monday's 2nd-Round Games

The Big Dance may take a hiatus, but the NIT isn't going anywhere. 

Things only become more dramatic by the day in the supposed secondary tournament, as teams angry over missing the NCAA tournament fight for the right to play in Madison Square Garden.

It shouldn't shock the NIT offers everything the Big Dance does. Big upsets? Try South Dakota State over No. 1 Colorado State. Late drama? No. 1 Richmond needed overtime Sunday to escape Arizona State.

Monday features three high-profile contests, so there's no time to break from the madness. 

NIT Round 2 Schedule 

Date	Time (ET) / How to watch	Matchup
3/23	7 p.m. / ESPN	(3) Louisiana Tech at (2) Texas A&M
3/23	8 p.m. / ESPNU	(1) Old Dominion vs. (4) Illinois State
3/23	9 p.m. / ESPN	(3) Murray State at (2) Tulsa

Printable NIT bracket is also available on NCAA.com.

No. 1 Old Dominion vs. No. 4 Illinois State

Chris Tilley/Associated Press

At first glance, this appears to be a mismatch. 

Outside of seed, the Old Dominion Monarchs rank 45th in ESPN's RPI rankings with a win against the RPI Top 25 in their lone attempt and a 6-2 mark against the RPI Top 100. On the flip side, the Illinois State Redbirds rank 66th with a 1-6 tally against the RPI Top 25 and a 2-8 mark if adding another 75 to it.

Dive a bit deeper, though, and the two teams aren't too different. Just look at the KenPom.com efficiency ratings:

Team	ADJ OFF	ADJ DEF
Old Dominion	117	46
Illinois State	86	52

So yes, expect a bit of a defensive battle.

It's easy to fall in love with Old Dominion thanks to junior Trey Freeman, one of the nation's most underrated scorers at 17.3 points per game. The Monarchs tend to struggle against strong defensive teams, though, hence a recent loss to 19-17 Middle Tennessee while Freeman scored 22 points with little help from others.

Illinois State doesn't lean on just one player. A 69-56 victory over fifth-seeded Green Bay in which four players scored in double digits rests as proof.

Look for the Redbirds defense to shine Monday as it collapses on Freeman and forces others to win the contest.

Prediction: Illinois State 68, Old Dominion 67

No. 3 Murray State at No. 2 Tulsa

Stephen Lance Dennee/Associated Press

Say hello to what might turn out to be the best game the bracket offers this year. 

The Murray State Racers rank 64th in RPI to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane's 47th, sure, but this one features a battle of opposing strengths befit for the biggest stage of all.

Team	ADJ OFF	ADJ DEF
Murray State	19	187
Tulsa	211	15

As the KenPom.com numbers show, Murray State brings it every time down the floor, but it will need to maneuver past Tulsa's elite defense.

By now, collegiate fans who don't know about the Racers' Cameron Payne are doing themselves a disservice.

The sophomore is one of the nation's best-kept secrets, averaging 20.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists, in large part the reason the Racers rank 11th in points per game (79.1), 25th in assists (15.4) and 15th in field-goal percentage (.484).

Look at Murray State's start to the tournament, a 81-66 dismissal of sixth-seeded UTEP. Payne scored 14 points, dished 10 assists and grabbed seven boards, while the Racers shot 49.2 percent from the floor—led by Jarvis Williams' 25 points and another 21 from T.J. Sapp.

"It could be our last game any game," Sapp said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We have to be focused. We have to come out with the right mentality that we have a chip on our shoulder. We feel like people aren't hearing us right now."

Tulsa needs a return to form in a hurry if it's going to fend off Murray State. The Golden Hurricane lost to close the season, then escaped by three points against seventh-seeded William & Mary.

Things appear to favor Murray State, although anything can happen when madness takes hold.

Prediction: Murray State 79, Tulsa 76

Stats and info are courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.