Men's Hoops: NIT news and notes

The NIT is the oldest tournament in college basketball and decided the college basketball champions in the early years. The NIT, like the NCAA, has expanded it's field over the years. From six teams in 1938 to 40 teams in 2002.

• Temple won the first NIT Championship in 1938.
• All NIT games were played a Madison Square Garden in New York until 1977 when opening round games were moved to campus sites.
• Several teams have declined an NCAA bid to play in the NIT. Marquette (1970) and Kentucky (1950s) are among the teams. Teams must now accept an NCAA bid if offered one according to NCAA rules.
• Vanderbilt won the NIT Championship in 1990 under Eddie Fogler by defeating St Louis 74-72. Scott Draud was the game MVP. Vandy defeated La Tech, Tennessee, New Orleans and Penn State en route to the championship.
• The Commodores returned to the NIT Championship game in 1994 in Jan Van Breda Kolff's first season but fell to Villanova 80-73 after allowing a 41-26 halftime lead slip away.
• Vanderbilt has played in 22 NIT games and won 15 of them.
• An NIT bracket can be found at http://www.nit.org/2002_tournament.htm.
• Team selections for the 2002 edition of the NIT will take place on March 10th. The Tournament opens up March 12th. Second round play will be the 18th and 19th; and the third round will be on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Madison Square Garden will host the semifinals and championship doubleheaders on March 26th and 28th. The games will be televised nationally on ESPN and ESPN2.

Top Past Vanderbilt NIT Players

Name	Year
Ted Young	1983
Phil Cox	1983
Will Perdue	1987
Barry Booker	1987
Barry Goheen	1987
Scott Draud	1990
Derrick Wilcox	1990
Kevin Anglin	1992
Frank Seckar	1994, 1996
Ronnie McMahan	1994
Billy McCaffrey	1994
Dan Langhi	1998, 2000
Drew Maddux	1998

Possible NIT Participants for 2002

Below is a list of teams that could be included in the 2002 NIT field. Obviously some of them could be chosen by the NCAA as at-large teams this evening (Sunday).

Texas 20-11
Wake Forest 20-12
UCLA 19-11
Utah 19-8
Michigan St 18-11
Charlotte 18-11
St. John's 20-11
Villanova 17-12
South Carolina 17-14
Pepperdine 21-8
Virginia 17-11
BYU 16-11
Wisconsin 17-12
Georgetown 18-11
Bowling Green 23-8
Louisville 18-12
Vanderbilt 16-14
Dayton 20-10
Wyoming 20-8
Fresno St 18-14
New Mexico 16-13
LSU 17-14
Minnesota 17-12
La Tech 18-9
Saint Joseph's 18-11
Princeton 15-11
South Florida 19-12
Richmond 19-13
Butler 25-5
Ball State 19-11
Temple 15-14
Houston 17-14
St. Bonaventure 17-12
Rutgers 18-12
VCU 20-11
Coll of Charleston 20-8
Detroit 18-12
George Mason 19-9
UC Irvine 20-10
UL-Lafayette 19-10
Georgia St 19-10
New Mexico St 18-11
Illinois St 17-14
UL-Monroe 19-12
Yale 20-8
Montana St 16-9
Tennessee Tech 21-6
Nevada 16-13
Pacific 18-10
UNC Greensboro 20-10
Wagner 19-9