The Dicks weren’t done playing basketball yet. Despite finishing the season ranked 13th in the ACC with a 17-16 record, Wake Forest was not only invited to the NIT, but also a No. 1 seed. In the first round, the Deacs will face Navy on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Navy finished the season 26-7 overall and 17-1 in the Patriot League. Their tournament hopes were dashed when they lost by one point to Boston College in the conference tournament semifinals. They are ranked No. 142 in the KenPom rankings and No. 136 in the NET rankings. If Wake wins, their future opponents could include Illinois State, Kent State, Yale, NC State, Bradley and Dayton before reaching the Final Four.
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The NIT has definitely lost a lot of its luster over the past few years, with most Power Five teams opting out and starting to prepare for the transfer portal – I doubt Wake would have received an invitation if it weren’t for a few teams like Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Indiana that chose to decline their bids. Ultimately, playing in the NIT doesn’t really hurt a team, as college programs are fully capable of conducting scouting and recruiting portals while playing basketball games. If teams in the NCAA Tournament can do it, there’s no reason why teams in the NIT can’t do it. After a disappointing season, I completely understand if fans are ready to close the books on this year and move on to next season, but if players want to continue playing basketball, there’s really no reason why they shouldn’t.
Go to Dex.
