NIT Tournament 2018: Bracket, Schedule and Top 1st-Round Matchups to Watch

The first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament does not start until Thursday, but there is plenty of college basketball on tap until then.

Two First Four matchups will take place on Tuesday, with the other two occurring Wednesday. Also, the 64-team women's National Invitation Tournament kicks off on Wednesday, while the 32-team men's NIT starts Tuesday.

Focusing on the men's NIT for a moment, here's a look at the bracket as well as a few games to watch. You'll be able to find a couple of potential NBA first-rounders, a few giant killers and a potential upset looming in the first round.

Bracket and Schedule

Future NBA First-Rounders?

Two players in the top 30 of Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report's latest NBA draft big board will be taking part in the NIT this year.

Guard/forward Troy Brown (No. 18 on Wasserman's list) and the Oregon Ducks will play the Rider Broncs. The 6'7" freshman averaged 11.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals this season, and his team will play host on Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ESPN3.

Senior forward Chandler Hutchison (Wasserman's No. 23) and the Boise State Broncos will travel to face the Washington Huskies on Wednesday at 10 p.m. on ESPN3. Hutchison made a big leap between his sophomore and junior seasons, going from a 6.8-point average to 17.4 points. He improved that figure to 19.3 this year while also grabbing 7.5 boards per game.

Teams That Pulled Off Surprising Early-Season Upsets Face Off in First Round

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Boston College Eagles have a few things in common. First, they both made the NIT and are playing each other in the first round on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN3. Second, they both beat teams that eventually became No. 2 seeds in this year's NCAA tournament.

The Hilltoppers did so on November 23 when they took down Purdue 77-73 behind a balanced scoring attack (four players scored in double digits). Western Kentucky was also close to beating future No. 1 seed Villanova, losing 66-58 the day before.

Boston College beat Duke two weeks later when the Blue Devils were the No. 1 team in the nation. Three Eagles—sophomore guard Ky Bowman and junior guards Jerome Robinson and Jordan Chatman—combined to score 76 of the Eagles' points in an 89-84 victory. B.C. also posted wins against Miami and North Carolina State.

Will the Top Seeds Fall Yet Again?

Every year tells a different story come tourney time, but last year's men's NIT was chaotic, as the four No. 1 seeds all lost in the first or second round. A No. 8 seed (CSU Bakersfield) made the semifinals in New York City, while No. 4 TCU took down No. 6 Georgia Tech in the title game.

Therefore, keep an eye on all of the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on Tuesday and Wednesday. On paper, they all look like winners, but don't be surprised to see an upset or two.

Here's one pick for a first-round upset: Look for Northern Kentucky to take down Louisville in the first round. The Norse made the NCAA tournament last year and only lost to No. 2 seed Kentucky 79-70. They won the Horizon League regular-season title this year but got upset by Cleveland State in the quarterfinals. Still, the Norse are a solid team and winners of 22 games.

Meanwhile, Jeff Greer of the Courier Journal reported that Louisville players actually voted against participating in the NIT. Who can blame them given everything the program has been through this year, but regardless, the Norse could pull off the first-round upset. They'll play at Louisville on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.