The Washington State Cougars begin play in the 2011 NIT on Wednesday night as Long Beach State visits Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. The Cougars ended the regular season on a disappointing not, dropping the final two games of the year, including a loss to in-state rival Washington in the Pac-10 Tournament. On Selection Sunday, the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament was mitigated by a high seed in the NIT, giving Washington State fans hope for a deep tournament run.
Here’s a look at the Cougars’ side of the bracket, affectionately known as “upper-right.”
Upper right bracket:
No. 1 Boston College Eagles def. 8 McNeese St. Cowboys, 82-64
No. 4 Northwestern Wildcats vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Panthers on Wednesday at 5 pm
No. 3 Oklahoma St. Cowboys def. No. 6 Harvard Crimson, 71-54
No. 2 Washington St. Cougars vs. No. 7 Long Beach St. 49ers on Wednesday at 7 pm
If Washington State wins on Wednesday night, the Cougars would host Oklahoma State in Pullman early next week. Oklahoma State dispatched Ivy League runner-up Harvard on Tuesday night, 71-54.
The Cougs NIT run begins on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., live on ESPNU. For those without ESPNU, the game will also be broadcast on ESPN3.com.
Check out the full NIT bracket ahead of Wednesday’s game and stop by CougCenter for more on the Cougs. For more on the tournament, visit our NIT StoryStream.