The 2008 National Invitation Tournament (known through sponsorship as the MasterCard NIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 71st annual tournament began on March 18 on campus sites and ended on April 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[1] Each regular season conference champion that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the NIT Selection Committee.[2] The first, second, and third rounds were played on the higher seeded team's home court, with the semi-finals and finals played at Madison Square Garden.
The Ohio State Buckeyes won the tournament.
Selection Committee[]
The 2008 NIT Selection Committee consists of the following former college basketball coaches and administrators:[3]
Participants[]
Bracket[]
| First round
| | | Second round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1
| Ohio State
| 84
| | | |
|
| 8
| UNC Asheville
| 66
| |
| | 1
| Ohio State
| 73
| |
|
| |
| | | 4
| California
| 56
| |
| 4
| California
| 68
| |
| |
| 5
| New Mexico
| 66
| |
| | 1
| Ohio State
| 74
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Dayton
| 63
| |
| 3
| Dayton
| 66
| | |
| |
| 6
| Cleveland State
| 57
| |
| | 3
| Dayton
| 55
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Illinois State
| 48
| |
| 2
| Illinois State
| 61
| |
| |
| 7
| Utah State
| 57
| |
| First round
| | | Second round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1
| Virginia Tech
| 94
| | | |
|
| 8
| Morgan State
| 62
| |
| | 1
| Virginia Tech
| 75
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| UAB
| 49
| |
| 4
| VCU
| 77
| |
| |
| 5
| UAB
| 80
| |
| | 1
| Virginia Tech
| 72
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Mississippi
| 81
| |
| 3
| Nebraska
| 67
| | |
| |
| 6
| Charlotte
| 48
| |
| | 3
| Nebraska
| 75
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Mississippi
| 85*
| |
| 2
| Mississippi
| 83
| |
| |
| 7
| UC Santa Barbara
| 68
| |
| First round
| | | Second round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1
| Arizona State
| 64
| | | |
|
| 8
| Alabama State
| 53
| |
| | 1
| Arizona State
| 65
| |
|
| |
| | | 4
| Southern Illinois
| 51
| |
| 4
| Southern Illinois
| 69
| |
| |
| 5
| Oklahoma State
| 53
| |
| | 1
| Arizona State
| 57
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Florida
| 70
| |
| 3
| Creighton
| 74
| | |
| |
| 6
| Rhode Island
| 73
| |
| | 3
| Creighton
| 54
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Florida
| 82
| |
| 2
| Florida
| 73
| |
| |
| 7
| San Diego State
| 49
| |
| First round
| | | Second round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1
| Syracuse
| 87
| | | |
|
| 8
| Robert Morris
| 81
| |
| | 1
| Syracuse
| 88
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Maryland
| 72
| |
| 4
| Minnesota
| 58
| |
| |
| 5
| Maryland
| 68
| |
| | 1
| Syracuse
| 77
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Massachusetts
| 81
| |
| 3
| Florida State
| 60
| | |
| |
| 6
| Akron
| 65*
| |
| | 6
| Akron
| 63
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Massachusetts
| 68
| |
| 2
| Massachusetts
| 80
| |
| |
| 7
| Stephen F. Austin
| 60
| |
Semifinals and Final[]
Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3
| Semifinals
| | | Final
| |
| | | | | | | | | |
| 1
| Ohio State
| 81
| | |
|
| 2
| Mississippi
| 69
| |
| | 1
| Ohio State
| 92
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Massachusetts
| 85
| |
| 2
| Florida
| 66
| |
| |
| 2
| Massachusetts
| 78
| |
* - Overtime game.
See also[]
References[]