NIT Tournament 2016: Bracket and Schedule for Semifinals in New York

Four teams head to Madison Square Garden for a shot at glory as the NIT concludes.

Thus far, the NIT has managed to match the NCAA tournament blow for blow, albeit on a smaller scale. A No. 1 seed fell at the hands of a No. 8, notable darling "snubs" such as Monmouth have lost credibility, and the last four teams standing are a mix of favorites and the unexpected.

A chance not only to prove the selection committee wrong but the globe wrong exists when the semifinals begin Tuesday, March 29. It's a chance to make history, for some the final capper to a career and others a strong building block for the future.

NIT Bracket and Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	TV	Matchup
Mar. 29	7 p.m.	ESPN	No. 1 Valparaiso vs. No. 2 BYU
Mar. 29	9 p.m.	ESPN	No. 4 George Washington vs. No. 2 San Diego State

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

No. 1 Valparaiso vs. No. 2 BYU

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Call a meeting between two of the more notable NIT teams a war of wills.

Second-seeded BYU gets by on elite offense, one averaging 84 points per game in large part because the team shoots 38 percent from deep. The Cougars only finished 76th in ESPN's RPI rankings but over at KenPom.com rank 43rd in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Valparaiso, the lone top seed remaining, is quite the opposite. Sitting 49th in RPI, the Crusaders boast a seventh slotting in adjusted defensive efficiency, something the team has easily trumpeted loud and clear. Through three NIT games, the elite unit has permitted 73, 69 and 44 points. No team came within 10 points of the Crusaders.

The quarterfinals seem like especially bad news for BYU. There, No. 2 Saint Mary's entered tasked with overcoming the Crusaders defense and boasted a 22nd-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency. In the 60-44 blowout, the Crusaders allowed just one of Saint Mary's starters to breach double digits, held the team to 34 percent shooting and won the rebounding battle 41-29.

To be fair, BYU has posted outings of 97, 80, and 88 points. But the latter two were wins by five points or less. Four starters might average 12 or more points, led by Chase Fischer's 18.3, but if the Cougars cannot hit on a high percentage of their shots against a pressure defense, they'll simply stand as the latest to succumb to the most notable snub left.

Look for the Crusaders to keep it rolling, snuffing out the BYU attack early and often, dominating the boards and, subsequently, the pace of the game.

Prediction: Valparaiso 77, BYU 72

No. 4 George Washington vs. No. 2 San Diego State

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

It only seems right the other semifinal matchup is much of the same story.

The fourth-seeded George Washington Colonials pride themselves on offense, landing 34th in adjusted offensive efficiency. While only 65th in RPI, the offense has held up its end of the bargain when it matters most, boasting 82 or more points in all three NIT contests, including an 87-71 whipping of No. 1 Monmouth and an 82-77 dismissal of No. 2 Florida.

The second-seeded San Diego State Aztecs land on the opposite end of the scale, ranking second in adjusted defensive efficiency and, as such, sitting 42nd in RPI. Though the Aztecs have yet to encounter a seed higher than third, the vaunted defense has allowed small outings of 55, 78 and 56 points to opponents.

It's not easy to figure out which way this one will go. San Diego State hasn't played much in the way of competition yet, but CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb isn't surprised to see the Aztecs doing well:

"

So a San Diego State team that was 19-3. #1FG%defense since Jan 1, lost by a total of 9 pts is capable of winning the NIT? U don't say...

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 24, 2016"

Then again, George Washington has dealt with big team after big team and has proved to be quite the Big Dance snub, No. 4 seed or not.

Defense, as they say, wins championships. The path for the Aztecs so far hasn't been impressive, but they can't control such a factor. They can control the strength of their performance and momentum gained, and one of the best defenses in the nation hasn't failed to disappoint.

Look for the Aztecs' trio of players averaging 11 or more points per game to go off, taking full advantage of the defense on the other end of the court giving them plenty of padding to gun at will and dictate the pace.

Prediction: San Diego State 79, George Washington 68

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