The Washington State Cougars still held an outside chance of making the NCAA Tournament ahead of Thursday night’s loss to the Washington Huskies in the Pac-10 Tournament. But with the loss, any hopes of making the Big Dance evaporated, leaving the Cougars facing the prospects of playing in the NIT. The players know it, the coaches know it and the fans are facing the harsh reality of what might have been following a two-point loss to the Huskies at Staples Center. There is good news in the latest NIT bracket projections for the Cougars, though.
In the latest NIT bracketology, the Cougars are a three-seed, ensuring at least one home game in the tournament, should they choose to take it. Washington State is a two seed in the latest bracketology, just behind Alabama. In the first round, the Cougars would face Coastal Carolina and would have the hosting duties, as well. Should the Cougars advance, they’d play the winner of the 3/6 game, either third-seeded Missouri State or sixth-seeded Northwestern.
While the Cougars’ NCAA hopes are gone, Washington State still has the chance to gain valuable postseason experience in the NIT, a positive as head coach Ken Bone tries to build the program.
For the latest on the projections, check out the rest of our bracketology StoryStream. For more on the Cougars, visit SB Nation’s CougCenter.