NIT Tournament 2016: Bracket, Schedule and Storylines to Watch in Semifinals

While smaller in scale, the NIT boasts four teams left standing and contributes to the madness of the month more than some might realize.

The fact just one No. 1 seed remains says enough about the chaos that is the NIT, especially when one remembers the higher seed plays host until the semifinals, which go down at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Those four alive hoping to hoist a trophy are not only some of the best teams in the country, but some of the most motivated after having to settle for "snub" status and accepting a bid to the smaller bracket.

With such a theme in mind, here's a look at everything to know about the semifinals.

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.

Storylines to Watch in Semifinals

Valparaiso's Big Test

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

These Valparaiso Crusaders aren't anything to scoff at.

A reluctant No. 1 seed, Alec Peters (18.5 points per game) has the Crusaders playing in the first NIT semifinals in program history. His team, ranked 49th in ESPN's RPI rankings on the back of seventh-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com, also has a program record with 29 wins.

Yet the Crusaders haven't faced much of a test just yet. The team blew through eighth-seeded Texas Southern 84-73, then followed with an 81-69 dismissal of fourth-ranked Florida State.

In the quarterfinal, No. 2 Saint Mary's looked like a tough test on paper, yet the Crusaders came up big with a 60-44 victory while holding the Gaels to 34 percent shooting.

If anyone can test the Crusaders, it looks to be No. 2 BYU, which so far has posted 80 or more points through three tournament games. The Cougars have four starters averaging 12 or more points, and the offense as a whole averages 84 points while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep.

Valparaiso is a motivated favorite, though not in the bracket of choice. The semifinals under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden will reveal just how deserving of the praise the Crusaders truly are.

San Diego State's Defense

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego State, 42nd in RPI, has put on a defensive clinic over the first three rounds of the bracket.

First? A 79-55 blowout of No. 7 Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne in which the opposition shot just 31 percent from the floor. Next was an encounter with No. 3 Washington, a 93-78 dismantling in which the Huskies shot 38 percent from the floor but 27 percent from deep and lost the rebounding battle by 10.

The quarterfinals saw the Aztecs face an experienced No. 4 Georgia Tech team, only to cruise to a 72-56 victory while the Yellow Jackets shot 44 percent from the field, but 20 percent from long range while turning the ball over 13 times.

It's no wonder the Aztecs sit second in adjusted defensive efficiency. Ditto for folks such as Eric Bossi of Rivals.com wondering what noise the team could have made in the NCAA tournament:

Now the Aztecs have to also deal with what might be their biggest test to date thanks to an encounter with No. 4 George Washington, one of the bracket's better offensive teams that has already blown through No. 1 Monmouth and No. 2 Florida.

Seeds and recent performance suggest the NIT will have a defensive-minded final. Like Valparaiso, San Diego State has one more test to pass.

Motivation

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Like it or not, motivation is one of the biggest factors in the NIT. 

So it goes for a consolation tournament in which a team—should it even accept a bid, as a notable such as LSU did not—has to keep competing while watching highlights from the Big Dance, a tournament the players had aimed for and failed to reach.

Motivation plays into any game, of course, but it's heightened in the NIT. It's why No. 1 St. Bonaventure entered the bracket flat and took a loss at the hands of No. 8 Wagner. No. 1 Monmouth and No. 1 South Carolina weren't far behind with losses to No. 4 seeds George Washington and Georgia Tech, respectively.

This isn't out of the ordinary for motivation to stand as a major factor. Look at a nugget provided by ESPN Stats & Info after Wagner pulled off the stunner:

Which team hits the semifinals in New York with the most motivation?

Hard to say. Valparaiso wants to keep blowing through the bracket to prove the selection committee wrong. Same for San Diego State. George Washington wants to do that and send a message to the folks who slapped the team with a fourth seed.

No matter how it shakes out, the four remaining will put on a show in the semifinals, so long as none fall flat in the motivation department.

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