Well, I guess my previous concerns were unfounded. Probably should’ve locked them into the N.I.T. regardless of what happened in the Pac-12 Tournament; obviously we’re one of the top 90-something teams in college basketball, so this feels like a no-brainer in hindsight.
The Huskies are a 5-seed, who will play 4-seed Boise State on Wednesday at 7pm. Unfortunately, due to my cockamamie flight into Reno (with a layover in Oakland that I didn’t realize I didn’t want until it was too late), I won’t land until the game is nearly over. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing. I’ve already lost $40 on this fucking team in tournament play, do I really want to lose any more? Besides, if we win, there’s a chance we’ll play our second round game on Friday or Saturday (with a shot at playing on Sunday, when I fly home, which would be disappointing all around).
I’m happy for the Huskies. This is very deserving. We get some extra practice time, we get another do-or-die game, it’s all good preparation for next year, when hopefully this team will take the next step and finally return to the NCAA Tournament. And, while the Huskies haven’t been great over the last month, they’re just as good as anyone else in the N.I.T., and if we play our best ball, we can really make a dent in this thing. Ultimately, tournament play is tournament play, and it’s cool that the Huskies get to continue playing basketball. N.I.T. games are just harder to find on the TV dial, that’s all.