NIT 2018: Updated Bracket, Predictions and TV Info for Round 2

Count the Baylor Bears as one of the teams that thought they would be playing their postseason basketball in the NCAA tournament, and not the NIT.

Yet, that's just where the Bears are, and head coach Scott Drew is not crying over his team's fate. He intends to make Baylor's time in the NIT count for something big, and it could include cutting the nets down at Madison Square Garden after a title game victory.

If that is going to happen the Bears are going to have to come out firing when they face a hard-nosed Mississippi State team Sunday at noon.

NIT Second-Round Schedule 

Saturday, March 17

Notre Dame (1) vs. Penn St. (4) | 12 p.m. | ESPN

Sunday, March 18

Baylor (1) vs. Mississippi St. (4) | 12 p.m. | ESPN

Oregon (3) vs. Marquette (2) | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Middle Tenn. (3) vs. Louisville (2) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Monday, March 19

Stanford (3) vs. Oklahoma St. (2) | 7 p.m. | ESPNU

LSU (3) vs. Utah (2) | 9 p.m. | ESPNU

Saint Mary's (1) vs. Washington (5) | 11 p.m. | ESPNU

USC (1) vs. Western Ky. (4) | 11:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Full bracket available here. Predicted winners in bold. All times Eastern.

The Bears were victorious in their first-round game against Wagner by an 80-59 margin. Baylor jumped out to an early 21-9 lead and kept Wagner at bay throughout. 

Manu Lecomte led the way for Baylor with 24 points, and he was successful on five of his eight three-point attempts. Terry Maston added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Bears, while Nuni Omot scored 11.

If the Bears are going to advance, they are going to have to get the best of Mississippi State. The Bulldogs defeated Nebraska 66-59 in their first-round game. Aric Holman had 16 points and 10 rebounds in that game. 

Baylor is led by Lecomte, who is averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 88.4 percent from the free-throw line. Lecomte is getting support from Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., who contributes 13.9 points per night and shoots 51.9 percent from the field. Terry Maston is Baylor's only other player in double figures, averaging 10.9 points per contest.

Mississippi State is led by Quinndary Weatherspoon, who is averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 48.5 percent from the field. He struggled a bit in the win over Nebraska, as he was held to eight points in that game, and he will be looking to reassert himself against Baylor.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

USC has a chance to move on if it can beat Western Kentucky in a Monday night game. The Trojans are happy to have the time off after recording a 103-98 double-overtime win over North Carolina-Asheville Tuesday night.

Jordan McLaughlin and Nick Rakocevic scored 26 and 24 points respectively in the win for the Trojans. McLaughlin is averaging 12.8 points per game for the Trojans, while Rakocevic is averaging 8.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Chimezie Metu is USC's best player, but he has decided not to compete in the NIT because he does not want to risk an injury prior to the NBA draft. Metu averaged 15.7 points per game and connected on 52.3 percent of his shots from the field, and the Trojans will have to make up for his absence. Elijah Stewart and Jordan Usher played that role in the win over the Bulldogs, combining for 35 points.

Western Kentucky earned its way into the second round with a 79-62 victory over Boston College. The Hilltoppers took charge of that game with a 40-20 burst in the second and third quarters.

Justin Johnson led the way in that game with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and he is the team's leading scorer with a mark of 15.4 points per game. Johnson is connecting on 51.6 percent of his shots from the field, but he is a liability on the free-throw line where he is hitting just 55.3 percent of his shots.

Predictions

Baylor had an easy time of it in its first NIT game, but that is not likely to be the case against Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs like to spread the ball around and they should be able to outlast the Bears and come up with the upset.

USC got pushed to the limit in its game against North Carolina-Asheville. Even after that kind of effort, don't expect the Trojans to give anything less than their best here.

While they will miss Metu, expect the rest of the Trojans to come up with a solid effort for head coach Andy Enfield.