NIT 2017: Full Bracket, Field and Viewing Info for Tournament

Syracuse, California, Illinois State and Iowa headline the 32-team National Invitational Tournament field this year, with play beginning on Tuesday and ending on March 30 with the NIT final in Madison Square Garden.

Here's a look at the 32-team field, the bracket and the first-round viewing information (ensuing rounds' info will be revealed as the tournament progresses).

NIT Bracket, Field and First-Round Viewing Information

Predictions

Syracuse Regional

For the record, none of the four eight-team groupings in the NIT brackets have official names, so for the sake of referring to each, let's go with naming them after the No. 1 seed in each quarter of the bracket.

The Orange should hold serve and win its regional simply because of the massive homecourt advantage it will enjoy at the Carrier Dome.

'Cuse beat Duke, Virginia and Florida State in front of its home fans this year. In fact, Syracuse went 8-1 at home in the ACC this season, with the lone loss being against Louisville in overtime.

Some of the teams in Syracuse's regional are solid, such as 27-win Monmouth, who could pose a tough test in the second round, but the Carrier Dome has been a house of horrors for some of the best teams in the country. Syracuse should advance through to Madison Square Garden.

California Regional

Cal big man Ivan Rabb has an NBA future and is currently projected to go 22nd in the NBA draft, per DraftExpress. He might be the best player in the tournament.

However, Cal will win this regional for more reasons than Rabb. First, they benefit from having home-court advantage until the semifinals. Second, Cal ranks 13th in adjusted defensive efficiency in the Ken Pomeroy college basketball ratings.

Finally, Cal is a battle-tested team this season, playing in the Pac-12 and facing UCLA, Arizona (twice) and Oregon (twice). Granted, the Golden Bears went 0-5, but only one of those losses was out of hand (86-63 at Oregon).

Look for Cal to beat Houston and face Indiana in the NIT semifinals.

Illinois State Regional

The Redbirds are going to roll in the NIT. They rank 32nd in RPI, ahead of Big Ten powers Maryland and Wisconsin.

ISU won 27 games and was likely one solid out-of-conference victory away from securing an NCAA tournament berth. Subjectively, one has to wonder if the Redbirds are angry they didn't make the field as an at-large team and now want to prove to the men's college basketball world that they belonged in March Madness.

Furthermore, they have to be looking at the other side of their regional and seeing No. 2 Illinois sitting there. Getting the opportunity to beat an in-state team from a power conference would be a big deal.

The guess here is that Utah spoils the party and ruins the Illinois battle, but the Redbirds will still move on to MSG.

Iowa Regional

The Hawkeyes ended the season on a very sour note, losing to Indiana 95-73 in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. It was a very disappointing defeat considering that Iowa won its last four regular-season games.

Expect them to bounce back in this tournament. The other side of the regional is loaded, with Alabama (fifth place in the SEC), Clemson (who was on the bubble before losing to Duke in a close second-round ACC tournament game) and Richmond (featuring Atlantic 10 Player of the Year T.J. Cline) all in that same half.

Iowa will hold serve at home and take down Clemson to move into a semifinal matchup with the Redbirds.

Madison Square Garden

Syracuse will beat Cal in Madison Square Garden, its home away from home. Illinois State will continue its torrid hot streak and beat Iowa.

'Cuse and ISU will play a great final game, but graduate transfer point guard John Gillon will prove to be the difference and hit a few key buckets down the stretch, giving the Orange the NIT title.