2009 NIT Field

The NIT's reputation as being a consolation prize for so-called "bubble" teams that don't make the Big Dance is well-earned... the National Invitation Tournament hasn't really been an important presence on the college basketball scene since the seventies. But it means more games... and games are, in and of themselves, a good thing.

The field for the 2009 NIT is particularly interesting, featuring some of the biggest brand names in college hoops (Kentucky, UNLV), some teams that spent time in the Associated Press top ten this season (Notre Dame, Georgetown) recent NCAA champions (Florida), big-conference schools that just missed the big dance (Miami, Providence, Baylor, Northwestern) and last year's March Madness hero, Stephen Curry of the Davidson Wildcats.

A number of potential NBA draft picks will be on hand as well, including Patty Mills of St. Mary's, Greg Monroe of Georgetown, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson and Tulsa's Jerome Jordan.

The first three rounds of the tournament will be held at campus locations, usually hosted by the higher-seeded team. The semifinals and finals are, as always, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Check the official NIT website for more information.

2009 NIT Field

1	San Diego State	Auburn	Creighton	Florida
2	St. Mary's	Virginia Tech	Notre Dame	Penn State
3	South Carolina	Baylor	New Mexico	Niagara
4	Kansas State	Tulsa	Kentucky	Miami
5	Illinois State	Northwestern	UNLV	Providence
6	Davidson	Georgetown	Nebraska	Rhode Island
7	Washington State	Duquesne	UAB	George Mason
8	Weber State	Tennessee-Martin	Bowling Green	Jacksonville