After two days of thrillers, we now have an NIT final four as they converge upon Hinkle Fieldhouse. Of the four, we have three No. 1 seeds with the lone three-seed being the Redbirds of Illinois State. The other three, Auburn, Tulsa and New Mexico have had their battles, but of the crowd, SBNation fans vote the Lobos as the favorite to come out on top.
(The poll was cast before the quarterfinals.)
New Mexico received 56% of the vote. Auburn, out of the SEC, racked up 10%. Dayton, Wichita State and Saint Joseph’s, whom were all eliminated in the last round, combined for 20%. Tulsa followed with 5%.
The Lobos have been unbeatable in this tournament. Eric Olen’s team has waltzed through the opening rounds with the largest home-court advantage in the NIT with wins of 24, 25 and 15 points inside The Pit. UNM has looked electric on its way to Indianapolis. They will be the heavy favorite as they take on Tulsa at Hinkle Fieldhouse Thursday.
Eric Konkol and his squad have sent the program to their first NIT semifinal since Buzz Peterson was the coach back in 2001. Tulsa went 13-20 a season ago but has posted the most wins for the program (29) since 2000. The Golden Hurricane looks to knock off an intimidating New Mexico team now with a fully healthy lineup following the return of David Green against Wichita State.
The Underdog: Illinois State
The Redbirds, out of the Missouri Valley, have surprised many following bad-to-back big wins over Wake Forrest and Dayton. A balanced team effort is starting to become its biggest strength. This roster’s returning pieces provide a sort of chemistry that makes this team fun to cheer for as it takes on Auburn in the semifinals Thursday.
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