The Washington State Cougars have announced they will host an NIT game if given the chance, even with the students on Spring Break. In the past, Washington State has been hesitant to host games during breaks because of the daunting prospect of filling Beasley Coliseum without thousands of students in town. When the NIT bracket is announced during Sunday night’s NIT Selection Show, if Washington State is a No. 4 seed or above, the school will, in fact, host a game during the coming week.
According to SB Nation’s CougCenter, the latest NIT bracketology predictions have the Cougars listed as a No. 2 seed, in line to host a first, and even second round game in the tournament.
This guy, who I remember does a great job with NIT-ology after following it a couple of year’s ago when the Cougs were in the field, projects WSU as a No. 2 seed. If that’s correct, the Cougars will be in line to host a game in the tournament’s first round. If that’s the case, The Spokesman-Review’s Vince Grippi reports WSU will indeed host the game, despite the students being out of town.
Grippi also speculates Long Beach State will be the Cougars’ first round opponent, heading north to Pullman to begin the NIT. Location plays a large role in NIT seeding, more than the NCAA Tournament, with the selection committee looking to ease the travel burden on teams. With that in mind, Long Beach State seems like a logical candidate for the Cougars.
The NIT Selection Show gets underway at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
Stay tuned to our NIT Selection Show StoryStream throughout the show as we wait to find out where the Cougars will end up. For more on the Cougs, visit SB Nation’s CougCenter.