NIT Tournament 2015: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Quarterfinal Players to Watch

While most of the focus at this time of year is surrounding the NCAA tournament, the NIT features some serious talent you don't want to miss.

College basketball fans might only slightly be familiar with the path of teams like Murray State, Temple and Old Dominion, three squads with legitimate arguments toward being in the Big Dance. While all of them fell short, these three and Louisiana Tech now have a chance to end the year on a high note with a trip to the National Invitation Tournament semifinals.

Playing in Madison Square Garden in New York City is a big deal for any college player, regardless of the event. The good news is the fans will be able to watch some serious talent, including these players.

Date	Round	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
March 25	Quarterfinal	Old Dominion vs. Murray State	7 p.m.	ESPN2
March 25	Quarterfinal	Temple vs. Louisiana Tech	9 p.m.	ESPN2
March 31	Semifinal	Miami (FL) vs. Temple/Louisiana Tech	7/9 p.m.	ESPN
March 31	Semifinal	Stanford vs. Old Dominion/Murray State	7/9 p.m.	ESPN
April 2	Final	Semifinal Winners	9 p.m.	ESPN

Note: You can view a complete updated bracket at NCAA.com. All games can be viewed online at Watch ESPN.

Cameron Payne, Murray State

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Playing in the Ohio Valley Conference usually isn't a great way to get your name out, but true college basketball fans know Cameron Payne has the talent to be one of the top point guards in the nation.

The sophomore carried the Racers at times this year, averaging 20.1 points, six assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. His consistent play is a major reason his team won 25 games in a row before falling to Belmont in the conference tournament finals (Payne had 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the loss).

On the plus side, the NIT has given the guard a chance to show what he can do against quality opponents like UTEP and Tulsa. Murray State earned two easy wins to get to the tournament quarterfinals, which led to some high praise from ESPN's Fran Fraschilla:

Considering D'Angelo Russell was an All-American this season and will likely be a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, you can see the high regard for Payne.

The hope is that his team can keep winning and fans can finally see what this player can do.

Trey Freeman, Old Dominion

Jason Hirschfeld/Associated Press

There is some concern Trey Freeman won't play in the quarterfinals against Murray State. The guard suffered an ankle injury and only played 12 minutes against Illinois State in the last round without scoring a point.

Ed Miller of the Virginia-Pilot provided an update:

If he does play, however, it will be a major boost to Old Dominion. The Campbell transfer led the team with 16.8 points per game this year while also finding ways to create for others with 3.8 assists per game.

He also showed just how valuable he can be with a triple-double in the first round of the NIT against Charleston Southern.

Although the guard is just 6'2", he is crafty with the ball in his hands and always seems to make the right play. Without him, the Monarchs could be in trouble Wednesday.

Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Though he is far from Louisiana Tech's leading scorer at 6.4 points per game, Kenneth "Speedy" Smith is truly one of the top point guards in the nation.

The guard set up a fast-paced attack with 7.3 assists per game during the regular season, which ranked fifth in the country. Amazingly, he has improved upon these numbers with 21 assists through his first two games of the NIT.

Meanwhile, Smith also makes a big impact on the defensive end with 1.9 steals per game and tough on-ball defense against just about any other ball-handler.

Raheem Appleby, Alex Hamilton and others have been great finishers for the Bulldogs this season, but they would not be anywhere near as successful without Smith.

Jaylen Bond, Temple

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Unlike others on this list, Jaylen Bond isn't much of an offensive threat either as a scorer or passer. The 6'7" forward averages 7.7 points per game to rank fourth on Temple.

However, when head coach Fran Dunphy was asked what makes his defense so effective compared to last season, he didn't need to think twice.

"Jaylen Bond," Dunphy said in February, via Matt Haughton of CSN Philly. "He’s so versatile defensively. He can guard people on the post. When we get stuck with him on the perimeter on a point guard, we don’t have any fear. He’s just such a terrific rebounder, as well."

According to KenPom.com, Temple ranks 19th in the nation in defensive efficiency, thanks in large part to the play of Bond. His contributions don't always show up in the box score, but he does a great job of guarding an opponent's best player and taking him out of the game.

After bringing down 15 rebounds in the recent win over George Washington, it's clear the Texas transfer is extremely important to this team.

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