SB Nation Boston - NIT 2012: Stanford And Minnesota Set To Battle For Tournament Championship

NIT 2012 Schedule And Bracket: Championship Game Set For Thursday

2012-03-29T12:48:12Z

It all comes down to this: Stanford and Minnesota will square off at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night in the NIT Championship.

The road has been a little different for each squad, as Minnesota - who stumbled through Big Ten conference play - pulled off a string of upsets as a six seed in their quarter of the bracket. Stanford, who narrowly missed an invite to the NCAA Tournament, was a third seed.

Each team looks forward to the opportunity to carry a win and momentum into next year, and the Golden Gophers are striving for victories over Pac-12 opponents in consecutive games, having defeated Washington in the tournament's semifinals.

And while a win wouldn't quite measure up to the school's 1942 NCAA Championship, the Cardinal has a chance to win its second NIT crown, having also won the event in 1990.

Game Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3

For more on the NIT Tournament, be sure to check out our NIT stream and SB Nation Boston for all your needs.

NIT 2012, UMass Vs. Stanford Final Score: Stanford Too Much For UMass in 74-64 Win

2012-03-28T01:39:04Z

All NIT long UMass had been able to come up with a timely run to get back into games and break opponent's backs. Tuesday night that run came too early and fell short, as (5) UMass (25-12) finally saw their NIT run and their season come to an end against (3) Stanford (25-11).

The Cardinal overcame a poor shooting night and foul trouble behind four players in double digits with a 74-64 victory at Madison Square Garden. It was the second time the two teams had met at MSG, with Stanford winning 73-71 in the 1991 NIT Semifinals.

Sophomore point guard Chaz Williams led the Minutemen with 19 points and three assists but he and his teammates struggled shooting the ball all night long. Williams connected on 7-of-18 shots, with a large portion of his made shots and points coming after the game had been decided. Junior guard Freddie Riley was the only other UMass player in double figures with 10 points, including two of the Minutemen's five 3-pointers.

Sean Carter, the lone UMass senior who was a member of the rotation, finished his career with six points and a team-high eight rebounds. Forwards Raphiael Putney (eight rebounds) and Terrell Vinson (six rebounds) both chipped in with eight points apiece but struggled with foul trouble throughout the night.

Sophomore guard Anthony Brown led the Minutemen with 18 points on the night, including 13 in the second half. Aaron Bright (13 points) and Chasson Randle (12 points) joined Brown in double-figures and senior forward Josh Owens posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

While neither squad shot the ball particularly well, UMass connected on 33.8 percent of their shots and Stanford hit 36.9 percent, Stanford held a big advantage on the glass. The Cardinal held a 12-rebound margin (46-34) and pulled down 15 offensive rebounds. Stanford also held a big edge from the free throw line, as they knocked down 70 percent (21-of-30) if their shots, while UMass managed just 59.1 percent (13-of-22).

Early on it looked like Stanford would cruise against UMass when they grabbed a 12-point lead (26-14) at the 11:39 mark of the first half behind a 10-0 run. The Minutemen responded though in their regular fashion, with a 13-4 run over the next minutes, to make the halftime deficit a reasonable 36-33 score.

The second half was an ugly affair for the first 12 minutes, as both team's saw their shooting percentage plummet behind a steady stream of missed shots. Then things got interesting. Riley knocked down a 3-pointer with 8:05 to give UMass a 50-49 lead, just their second lead of the game. But Brown would follow a 3-pointer of his own, to give Stanford the lead right back. The back-to-back threes were the first 3-pointers of the second half for both teams.

Williams would respond with an acrobatic layup in traffic to tie it at 52, but Stanford would go on a 11-3 run to open up the game and UMass failed to have an answer.

UMass' 25 wins this season means they will go down tied for fifth all-time in Minutemen history for single season victories.

Stanford will play the winner of (1) Washington and (6) Minnesota Thursday night in the NIT Championship Game.

Final - 3.27.2012	1	2	Total
UMass Minutemen	33	31	64
Stanford Cardinal	36	38	74

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NIT 2012, UMass Vs. Stanford Halftime Score: Stanford Leads Minutemen 36-33

2012-03-28T00:04:44Z

Midway through the first half Stanford looked like they were going to run away from UMass and right into the National Invitational Tournament Championship Game. The Cardinal grabbed a 26-14 lead at the 11:39 mark behind a 10-0 run and the Minutemen looked incapable of slowing down Stanford's big men inside. Then UMass responded with the counterpunch.

Stanford leads UMass 36-33 at halftime at Madison Square Garden behind 11 points and five rebounds from senior forward Josh Owens.

UMass overcame a slow start to get right back into the game behind an 11-1 run of their own and some big 3-pointers. Redshirt sophomore Raphiael Putney leads the Minutemen with eight points and two assists and the big men knocked down two key threes to get UMass back into the game. Point guard Chaz Williams added seven points and an assist but picked up his third foul late in the first half on a charge.

Stanford has five players with five points or more, with sophomore forward Josh Huestis as the second leading scorer with six points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench.

Neither team shot well in the first half, with UMass knocking down 12-of-33 (36.4 percent) of their shots and Stanford hitting 33.3 percent of their shots (12-of-36). The battle of the paint has been intriguing, with Stanford owning a 21-17 rebounding advantage, but UMass holding a 7-1 advantage in blocks.

UMass had a chance to tie the game at the half, when Javorn Farrell stole an inbounds pass with less than a second to go but his three fell off the mark. Tuesday's winner will play the winner of (1) Washington and (6) Minnesota.

NIT 2012 Semifinals, (5) UMass Vs. (3) Stanford: Minutemen Look To Down The Cardinal At Madison Square Garden

2012-03-27T17:03:11Z

Chaz Williams and the Minutemen have seen and achieved a lot this season. They traveled to the Bahamas, swept their Massachusetts rivals, knocked off a ranked Temple squad to make it to the Atlantic 10 Semifinals for the first time since 2001, knocked off three higher seeds in the National Invitation Tournament and Tuesday they'll look to notch one more accomplishment when they face Standford at the Mecca Of College Basketball.

Fifth-seeded UMass (25-11) and the (3) Cardinal (24-11) will meet in the NIT semifinals for the second time when the two teams tip off Tuesday night at 7 p.m. EDT at Madison Square Garden, with a spot in Thursday's NIT Championship Game on the line. ESPN2 will broadcast the game with Mike Patrick, Fran Fraschilla and Bill Raferty on the call. An audio broadcast of the game will also be available nationally on Westwood One Radio with Bob Papa and former UMass head coach Steve Lappas providing commentary.

The winner of Tuesday's game will play either PAC-12 regular season champion (1) Washington or Tubby Smith's (6) Minnesota squad. That game will be played at 9 p.m. directly after the UMass-Stanford game.

It has been a fantastic run for the Minutemen who have beaten an SEC team (Mississippi State), a Big East team (Seton Hall) and the Colonial Athletic Association Regular Season Champion (Drexel) all on the road.

The Minutemen started with a double-overtime thriller in Mississippi, where the Minutemen gave up a double-digit second-half lead, only to knock off the (4) Bulldogs off in the second overtime 101-96. Less than a week later, UMass traveled to New Jersey where they outlasted (1) Seton Hall 77-67 behind a few big three-pointers down the stretch. UMass capped off their run through their side of the bracket with a thrilling comeback of their own. After trailing by 17 early in the second half against (3) Drexel, the Minutemen handed the Dragons their first home loss of the season behind 14 second-half points by junior Terrell Vinson.

On the other side, the (3) Cardinal have had a slightly easier trip to Madison Square Garden, as they haven't had to leave home. Stanford opened with a 76-65 win over Cleveland State, before narrowly defeating (7) Illinois State by a 92-88 margin in overtime. In that game, Stanford overcame an 11-point deficit behind 29 points from sophomore Aaron Bright and freshmen guard Chasson Randle put the Cardinal ahead for good with a three-pointer with a minute to play. Stanford's quarterfinal matchup was much easier, as the Cardinal obliterated (5) Nevada by an 84-56 score.

Twenty-one years ago these two programs met in the NIT Semifinals, with Stanford earning a 73-71 victory over the Minutemen. But the Minutemen made the most of their next appearance in the NIT Semifinals, defeating defending national champion Florida five years ago, only to lose to Ohio State in the Championship Game.

Stanford is an extremely deep team with 11 players having made 24 or more appearances. Randle (13.9 ppg) and Bright (11.6 ppg) are two of the team's leading scorers as the pair of underclassmen have both excelled behind the three-point line shooting over 43 percent. While Randle fills up the stat sheet with steals and rebounds, Bright has been inserted as the starting point guard as a freshmen and achieved a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ration and 3.6 assists per game.

Senior forward Josh Owens is the team's second leading scorer (11.7 ppg) and leading rebounder at 5.7 rebounds per game. Owens also leads the team in field-goal percentage (57.6 percent) and steals (41).

While Stanford is above-average offensively (71.7 ppg) and on the glass (+4.4 rebounding margin), the Cardinals are 79th in the nation in scoring defense, as they allow just 63.5 points per game. UMass is the opposite, with a top-20 offense and a defense that allows 72.4 points per game.

The game could come down to which team can take better care of the ball, with two young point guards facing off on a huge stage. UMass has turned the ball over 14 times a game this season but has forced opponents into almost 17 giveaways a game. On the flip side, Stanford has turned the ball over just 13 times per game, while forcing 14 turnovers a contest. If the Minutemen can bother the Cardinal ball handlers and create some easy baskets, they may be able to push the game into the 70s or 80s and force Stanford to play out of their element.

NIT Tournament 2012, UMass Vs. Stanford: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

2012-03-27T13:48:13Z

The No. 5-seeded UMass Minutemen men's basketball team continues its NIT 2012 run Tuesday, as they face No. 3 Stanford Cardinal in a semifinal contest at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The winner of the contest advance to player either No. 1 Washington Huskies or No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NIT final on Thursday.

The Minutemen (25-11) are making their first appearance in the NIT Final Four since 2008, when they made the Championship Game. This will be the programs third NIT Final Four, as in '91 UMass played Stanford (24-11) in the semifinals and lost 73-71.

Location: New York, NY, Madison Square Garden

Game Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV Schedule: ESPN2/ESPN3

Announcers: Mike Patrick (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (color commentary) & Bill Raftery (color)

Radio Stream: KIX 100.9 FM

Betting Odds: Stanford is 2 1/2-point favorites.

For more on the NIT Tournament, be sure to check out our NIT stream and SB Nation Boston for all your needs.

NIT 2012: UMass Is Last New England Team Standing For A Reason

2012-03-27T13:00:21Z

Five months of college basketball have come and gone and only one of the 21 college basketball teams that call New England home still has life. While UConn drew all the headlines, Harvard made history, Vermont went dancing and Boston College started the rebuilding process, UMass has quietly put together their best season in the Derek Kellogg era.

Tuesday the Minutemen will take the floor at Madison Square Garden against Stanford trying to move one step closer to achieving a program first: winning a championship. It might only be a National Invitation Tournament Championship, but it would be just the beginning of what this roster could achieve.

The Minutemen are led by a pair of sophomores (Chaz Williams and Raphiael Putney) who have not only been the team's best players but also were some of the key factors in sparking Kellogg to completely change the team's style this offseason.

After being known for their dribble-drive attack during Kellogg's first three years and only achieving limited success, UMass has become one of the top scoring teams in the nation behind its new up-tempo style offense. UMass has used their 40-minute full-court pressure defense to create frequent easy scoring opportunities and seen an 11-point increase per game on the scoreboard from a year ago (66.3 to 77.3), even after losing their leading scorer to graduation. All season long the Minutemen have entertained the home fans in Amherst and impressed opposing coaches with their high-flying offense and pressure defense that has UMass in 16th in the nation in scoring offense.

But what has made the new system more than just fun to watch, but extremely effective? Speed and a roster full of unbelievable athletes, and no one embodies that more than Williams, a Hofstra transfer and the team's point guard.

Williams is the leader of the bunch, the heart and soul of the team and the star of the high-flying Minutemen. While he might not look like much at first glance, he's listed at 5'9" 175 and that's extremely generous, the Hofstra transfer is easily one of the fastest players in America and has a drive and game that's almost impossible to match.

Instead of trying to back opponents down, Williams either blows by them or wears them down over the course of a grueling 40 minutes. He not only leads the team in scoring (16.9ppg), assists (6.3apg), 3-pt field goal percentage (.425) and free throw percentage (.787), but also averages a team-high 2.3 steals per game because of his quickness.

But although he sets the tone, he can't do it all alone and that's where Putney and the rest of the UMass roster come into play. On a nightly basis, UMass poses opponents matchup problems because of the roster's rare combination of length, athleticism and Putney is the epitome of that dynamic. The 6'9" beanpole has the height to play against any power forward in the nation, but his ability to run the floor, knock down 3-pointers and throw down monster dunks, makes him a nightmare for anyone but maybe Anthony Davis to guard.

And while Williams and Putney tend to be the biggest thorns in opponent's sides, the rest of the roster is full of players who can cause havoc and more importantly fill a specific role. Senior center Sean Carter and junior forwards Terrell Vinson and Javorn Farrell provide a ton of toughness and grit inside, Maxie Esho is a younger version of Putney with less range and guards Jesse Morgan and Freddie Riley provide a ton of energy and sharpshooting, while helping to lead the team's press.

Already the Minutemen are tied for fifth in program history with 25 wins, and nine of the team's 10 regular rotation players will be back next year. Add in another year working together and the fact that UMass will get freshmen Cady LaLanne, a preseason Atlantic 10 All Rookie selection, and junior Sampson Carter back from injury and UMass shouldn't miss a beat next year.

Kellogg's not content to sit by either, he's bringing in a strong freshmen class to replace Carter. Florida big man Tyler Bergantino is a 6-9 forward who can run the floor and was a double-double machine at Nature Coast High School and Laguerre is a 6'2" guard who has practiced with UMass all year long and could've been a contributor this year according to Kellogg.

And with scholarships available for next year, UConn junior forward Alex Oriakhi could be an option to help the Minutemen get over the top. It might be a long shot but because of his senior status and the Huskies postseason ban, Oriakhi is planning to transfer for and will look for an immediate one year fix where he can come in and have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament according to an ESPN report.

Oriakhi is from Lowell and would have the chance to come in and would have a chance to redeem himself after a poor junior season. While Oriakhi's not used to running for forty minutes, he showed enough power and strength in his first two seasons to merit the Minutemen's attention and instantly become one of the best big men in the Atlantic 10. His size and experience would not only help combat the hole that Carter will leave, but he also could be a positive force in molding the team's core of young big men.

With or without Oriakhi, Williams and UMass will likely be playing on the national stage in front of big audiences more and more over the next few seasons, as the Minutemen look to reclaim their former glory.

2012 NIT Tournament Schedule And Bracket: UMass' 2011-12 Season Will End At MSG

2012-03-27T12:31:23Z

The men's basketball NIT tips off its Final Four on Tuesday, as the No. 5 UMass Minutemen and No. 3 Stanford Cardinal face off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The winner advances to play either No. 1 Washington Huskies or No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers, which play in the nightcap at approximately 9 p.m. on ESPN2.

It has been a long journey for each of these four programs, especially for UMass, which had to play on the road against Mississippi St. Bulldogs in the first round, at Seton Hall in the second and at Drexel in the third. The Minutemen's march to the NIT title ends in New York City and Madison Square Garden, where if they win Tuesday they will play in the Championship Game at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Here's Tuesday's schedule of Final Four games:

No. 5 UMAss vs. No. 3 Stanford, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

No. 1 Washington vs. No. 6 Minnesota, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. A full bracket is also right here. For more on the NIT, please check out SB Nation Boston for all your needs.

NIT Tournament Bracket 2012: UMass And Stanford Will Meet In The Semifinals

2012-03-22T03:08:50Z

The semifinal round matchups are all set in the 2012 National Invitation Tournament. Stanford and Minnesota both won on Wednesday night to advance.

No. 5 UMass will face No. 3 Stanford in their semifinal game scheduled for Tuesday, March 27. No. 6 Minnesota will face No. 1 Washington on the same day. The winners of those two games will face off in the NIT championship game on Thursday, March 29.

Stanford had no problems getting past the Nevada Wolf Pack, beating them by a final score of 84-56. Minnesota and Mid Tennessee played a much closer game. The Golden Gophers hit 11 of their last 12 free throws in a 78-72 win.

UMass beat Drexel on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals. Washington beat Oregon on Tuesday to advance.

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. A full bracket is also right here. For more on the NIT, please check out SB Nation Boston for all your needs.