NIT Tournament 2016: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Quarterfinal Players to Watch

With a trip to Madison Square Garden and the semifinals of the NIT swinging in the balance, the biggest stars left standing have to step up in the quarterfinals Wednesday. 

That's just what Tuesday's big winners got while advancing. Valparaiso, the last No. 1 standing, got 20 points from Alec Peters in a 60-44 whipping of second-seeded Saint Mary's. No. 2 BYU survived No. 4 Creighton as Zac Seljaas posted 19 points.

More major names and programs come out to play in the quarterfinals Wednesday and set the remainder of the semifinal bracket. Below, let's take a look at the NIT breakdown and provide the zoom on Wednesday's games and players to watch.

NIT Bracket and Schedule 

Date	Time (ET)	TV	Matchup (Quarterfinals)
March 23	7 p.m.	ESPN2	No. 2 Florida vs. No. 4 George Washington
March 23	9 p.m.	ESPN2	No. 2 San Diego St. vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech

Updated bracket can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. Full schedule and broadcast information are courtesy of NESN.com.

No. 2 Florida vs. No. 4 George Washington

Player to Watch: Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida

John Bazemore/Associated Press

There's nothing quite like watching a senior leading his team one last time in a spectacle like the NIT.

Such is the scenario with Florida's Dorian Finney-Smith, who couldn't quite get his Gators into the Big Dance despite a slotting of 52nd in ESPN's RPI rankings in the face of an 11th-ranked strength of schedule.

Alas, Finney-Smith has led the Gators well in the postseason so far, posting 15 points in a 97-68 shellacking of seventh-seeded North Florida and 16 more in a 74-66 thriller against third-seeded Ohio State.

Now the senior has to deal with fourth-seeded George Washington, which is 65th in RPI and red-hot after destroying No. 1 Monmouth on the road, 87-71. Such offensive potency isn't a shock, as the Colonials rank 43rd in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.com.

Finney-Smith, all 6'8" and 220 pounds of him, though, is a major reason the lanky and athletic Gators rank 19th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com. George Washington will clearly put this to the test thanks to a trio of starters averaging more than 12 points per game led by Tyler Cavanaugh. The Colonials boast an offense shooting 45 percent from the floor and 37 percent from deep.

Based on his averages of 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, there is little doubt Finney-Smith will be all over the court leading the Gators Wednesday.

Not only that, but he'll help take down another high-profile team and extend the lessons and experience for the future of the program around him, all while keeping his own collegiate career alive and auditioning for something bigger.

Prediction: Florida 77, George Washington 73

No. 2 San Diego St. vs. No. 4 Georgia Tech

Player to Watch: Winston Shepard, San Diego State

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

San Diego State's Winston Shepard finds himself in quite the similar situation as Finney-Smith.

A senior, Shepard averages 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He only ranks third on the team in scoring behind Trey Kell and Jeremy Hemsley, but it has been the senior who has stepped up most in the bracket.

The similarities don't stop there. Shepard helped the Aztecs finish 42nd in RPI, though the team stumbled to a 3-7 mark against the RPI top 100. Like Florida, Shepard directs a defensive-minded team that ranks third in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com.

Not that the Aztecs have looked anything like a defense-first team. Blame Shepard: In a 79-55 win against IPFW, the senior went off with a triple-double by scoring 10 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 12 assists.

He didn't stop there. In the second round against third-seeded Washington, a 93-78 laugher, Shepard posted 20 points, 10 boards and four dimes.

This isn't to say Georgia Tech doesn't stand a chance. The Yellow Jackets boast four starters who average double-digit points and blew away fifth-seeded Houston and top-seeded South Carolina over the first two rounds.

But as Derek Togerson of NBC 7 pointed out, Shepard has a way of making the Aztecs unstoppable:

"

Winston Shepard grabs his 10th rebound of the game to go with 16 points. The @GoAztecs have never lost (8-0) when he has a double-double.

— Derek Togerson (@DerekNBCSD) March 22, 2016"

Call Shepard a bit of a prophet. As he noted before a snub by the selection committee, few want to encounter the Aztecs. Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal provided the quote:

The Shepard train isn't going to stop now.

The Aztecs have something to prove, and Shepard wants to act as the catalyst on his farewell tour. Georgia Tech won't have a way to keep pace once he gets going.

Prediction: San Diego St. 84, Georgia Tech 77

Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com and KenPom.com.