NIT Championship Preview
Two NCAA Tournament Bubble teams in Seton Hall & Indiana State are battling it out in what will be an electric NIT Championship game on Thursday.
On selection Sunday, no one felt worse than Seton Hall and Indiana State. Both teams had legitimate resumes that deserved to be selected for at-large bids. Instead we got a team like Virginia in the tournament, but no sense in beating that one into the ground anymore. Now, Seton Hall and Indiana State have done exactly what they needed…run the NIT. Both teams face off tonight in the NIT Championship at 6pm CDT on ESPN.
Seton Hall comes in tonight at 24-12 where they finished 4th in the Big East and ultimately were knocked off in the conference tournament by Saint John’s 91-72 in the Quarterfinals. The Pirates finished the seasons ranked 67th in the NET and 52nd in KenPom, right on the cusp of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
The Pirates had some impressive wins this season, including a 5-game winning streak where they defeated #23 Providence, #7 Marquette, Georgetown, Butler, and St John’s…just two games before that streak started they also knocked off #5 UConn 75-60. UConn would get their revenge later in a 91-61 victory, but regardless, this is a Seton Hall team that has knocked off some power in College Basketball, including the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament for a 2nd consecutive year.
Kadary Richmond leads the way at 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Many believe that he has a NBA makeup, including Jim Boeheim who firmly believes he is an NBA player. Richmond’s supporting cast includes: Dre Davis (14.9 points, 6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game), and Al-Amir Dawes (14.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals). Dawes shoots an impressive 38.4% from beyond the arc and 93% from the line. This is a well rounded Seton Hall team that has proven that it has the potential to be a top team in the country, they just couldn’t keep consistency rolling.
We’ve written about Indiana State several times this season and if you follow us on Twitter (X) then you know that we’ve been a strong advocate for the Sycamores. This is a Mid-Major team that ranked 28th in the NET and 37th in Ken Pom at the end of the season. The Sycamores became the team with the highest ranked NET to ever miss the NCAA Tournament, ultimately being snubbed due to their Mid-Major status and resume in favor of the power conferences. Had they knocked off Michigan State in the non-conference and Jayson Kent not been hurt during their two-game skid to Illinois State and Southern Illinois, perhaps that would have been enough.
The Sycamores are led by 5 elite starters: Robbie Avila, Ryan Conwell, Isaiah Swope, Jayson Kent, and Julian Larry. Each of these 5 starters average over 10 points per game. Looking at their performance in the NIT thus far, they won 101-92 over SMU, 76-64 over Minnesota, 85-81 over Cincinnati, and 100-90 over Utah. There’s a reason they rank 4th in 3pt shots per game in the country and 1st in effective field goal percentage. The Sycamores are an offensive juggernaut that doesn’t really run a bench. Just 7 players have played in 30 or more games, so the Trees rely primarily on their starters, with Xavier Bledson coming off the bench as their 6th man to give breathers.
Overall, Indiana State ranks 7th in offensive ratings and 123rd in defensive ratings, while Seton Hall comes in at 142nd in offense and 135 in defense. Two comparable defensive teams, but Indiana State obviously has the upper hand in the offensive category. In terms of 3pt percentage defense, Seton Hall comes in at 128, allowing opponents to shoot at a 32.8% clip behind the arc. All signs point towards Indiana State having the advantage here, especially with the “home court” advantage at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, however, we can’t count the Pirates out. They are still a well rounded team with a deeper bench and a resume with wins against some of the top teams in the country. Lets list out some keys to the game:
Indiana State:
Keep shooting beyond the arc:
Seton Hall ranks 128th in 3pt defense while Indiana State ranks 4th in 3pt shots per game and 11th in 3pt percentage. Keep shooting.
Keep the fouls down:
Seton Hall ranks 14th in the country in Free Throw percentage, keep the from the line and make them earn it on the floor.
Seton Hall:
Drive in the paint:
Indiana State does not run a deep bench, so if Seton Hall can drive down low and force the Sycamores foul count up, they’ll have to take out key pieces on their team.
Keep the fouls down:
These are two excellent free throw shooting teams, while Seton Hall comes in at 14th in the country, Indiana State comes in at 4th. For both teams, they need to keep each other off the line.
This is going to be a dog fight, so don’t miss it this evening at 6pm CDT on ESPN!