WE WANT TO BE #69, U.S.A. — Here’s a thumbnail look at the 8 teams remaining in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Quarterfinals begin tonight when Drexel of the Colonial Athletic Association hosts UMass of the Atlantic 10 at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The NIT has a Pac 12 flavor, with three of the final eight teams hailing from the much maligned conference.
UMass (24-11) @ Drexel (29-6), 6 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)
UMass
RPI: 77
Overall SOS: 117
Nonconference SOS: 225
Road/Neutral Record: 9-10
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 5-3
Best 2 RPI Wins: vs. Temple (20), Saint Louis (31)
Drexel
RPI: 66
Overall SOS: 212
Nonconference SOS: 222
Road/Neutral Record: 14-6
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 1-3
Best 2 RPI Wins: VCU (39), *UCF (54)
The Pick: UMass by 4
Oregon (24-9) @ Washington (23-10), 8 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)
Oregon
RPI: 63
Overall SOS: 93
Nonconference SOS: 128
Road/Neutral Record: 7-6
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 1-7
Best 2 RPI Wins: Colorado (62), Washington (71)
Washington
RPI: 71
Overall SOS: 92
Nonconference SOS: 60
Road/Neutral Record: 6-8
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 0-6
Best 2 RPI Wins: Oregon (63), *Northwestern (65)
The Pick: Washington by 4
Gophers (21-14) @ Middle Tennessee State (26-6), 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN)
Gophers
RPI: 90
Overall SOS: 44
Nonconference SOS: 219
Road/Neutral Record: 8-8
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 2-9
Best 2 RPI Wins: @ Indiana (17), South Dakota State (43)
Middle Tennessee State
RPI: 56
Overall SOS: 183
Nonconference SOS: 59
Road/Neutral Record: 12-5
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 2-3
Best 2 RPI Wins: Akron (55), Belmont (58)
The Pick: Middle Tennessee State by 3
Nevada (26-6) @ Stanford (23-11), 8 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN)
Nevada
RPI: 67
Overall SOS: 162
Nonconference SOS: 193
Road/Neutral Record: 12-4
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 3-3
Best 2 RPI Wins: @ New Mexico State (59), New Mexico State (59)
Stanford
RPI: 97
Overall SOS: 134
Nonconference SOS: 215
Road/Neutral Record: 7-8
Record vs. NCAA Qualifiers: 5-3
Best 2 RPI Wins: Colorado State (29), Cal (37)
The Pick: Stanford by 2
*Denotes win occurred in NIT.
NIT Semifinal Picks (Tuesday, March 27): Washington over Middle Tennessee State by 6, UMass over Stanford by 8
NIT Championship Game Pick (Thursday, March 29): Washington over UMass by 5