2009 National Invitation Tournament

2009 National Invitation Tournament
Season 2008–09
Teams 32
Finals site Madison Square Garden
New York City
Champions Penn State (1st title)
Runner-up Baylor (1st title game)
Semifinalists Notre Dame (6th semifinal)
San Diego State (1st semifinal)
Winning coach Ed DeChellis (1st title)
MVP Jamelle Cornley Penn State
National Invitation Tournament
«2008  2010»

The 2009 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 72nd annual tournament began on March 17 on campus sites and ended on April 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Penn State winning the final 69–63 over Baylor.

Contents

Participants

Automatic qualifiers

The following teams won their conference regular season title, but failed to win conference post season tournaments. Therefore they were not awarded their respective conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. When they did not receive at-large selections to the NCAA tournament either, they automatically qualified for the 2009 NIT.

Conference School
A-Sun Jacksonville
Big Sky Weber State
MAC Bowling Green
OVC Tennessee-Martin
SoCon Davidson

Seedings

Seed School Conference Record Berth type
1 San Diego State MWC 23-9 At-Large
2 Saint Mary's WCC 26-6 At-Large
3 South Carolina SEC 21-9 At-Large
4 Kansas State Big 12 21-11 At-Large
5 Illinois State MVC 24-9 At-Large
6 Davidson SoCon 26-7 Automatic
7 Washington State Pac-10 17-15 At-Large
8 Weber State Big Sky 21-9 Automatic
Seed School Conference Record Berth type
1 Auburn SEC 22-11 At-Large
2 Virginia Tech ACC 18-14 At-Large
3 Baylor Big 12 20-14 At-Large
4 Tulsa C-USA 24-10 At-Large
5 Northwestern Big Ten 17-13 At-Large
6 Georgetown Big East 16-14 At-Large
7 Duquesne A-10 21-12 At-Large
8 Tennessee-Martin OVC 22-9 Automatic
Seed School Conference Record Berth type
1 Creighton MVC 26-7 At-Large
2 Notre Dame Big East 18-14 At-Large
3 New Mexico MWC 21-11 At-Large
4 Kentucky SEC 20-13 At-Large
5 UNLV MWC 21-10 At-Large
6 Nebraska Big 12 18-12 At-Large
7 UAB C-USA 22-11 At-Large
8 Bowling Green MAC 19-13 Automatic
Seed School Conference Record Berth type
1 Florida SEC 23-10 At-Large
2 Penn State Big Ten 22-11 At-Large
3 Niagara MAAC 26-8 At-Large
4 Miami (FL) ACC 18-12 At-Large
5 Providence Big East 19-13 At-Large
6 Rhode Island A-10 22-10 At-Large
7 George Mason CAA 22-10 At-Large
8 Jacksonville A-Sun 18-13 Automatic

Bracket

Played on the home court of the higher-seeded team (except #4 Miami (FL) at #5 Providence)

  First Round Second Round Quarterfinals
                           
  1  San Diego State 65  
8  Weber State 49  
  1  San Diego State 70  
  4  Kansas State 52  
4  Kansas State 83*
  5  Illinois State 79  
    1  San Diego State 70
  2  St. Mary's 66
  3  South Carolina 63  
6  Davidson 70  
  6  Davidson 68
  2  St. Mary's 80  
2  St. Mary's 68
  7  Washington State 57  
  First Round Second Round Quarterfinals
                           
  1  Auburn 87  
8  Tennessee-Martin 82  
  1  Auburn 74  
  4  Tulsa 55  
4  Tulsa 68
  5  Northwestern 59  
    1  Auburn 72
  3  Baylor 74
  3  Baylor 74  
6  Georgetown 72  
  3  Baylor 84
  2  Virginia Tech 66  
2  Virginia Tech 116**
  7  Duquesne 108  
  First Round Second Round Quarterfinals
                           
  1  Creighton 73  
8  Bowling Green 71  
  1  Creighton 63  
  4  Kentucky 65  
4  Kentucky 70
  5  UNLV 60  
    4  Kentucky 67
  2  Notre Dame 77
  3  New Mexico 83  
6  Nebraska 71  
  3  New Mexico 68
  2  Notre Dame 70  
2  Notre Dame 70
  7  UAB 64  
  First Round Second Round Quarterfinals
                           
  1  Florida 84  
8  Jacksonville 62  
  1  Florida 74  
  4  Miami (FL) 60  
4  Miami (FL) 78
  5  Providence 66  
    1  Florida 62
  2  Penn State 71
  3  Niagara 62  
6  Rhode Island 68  
  6  Rhode Island 72
  2  Penn State 83  
2  Penn State 77*
  7  George Mason 73  

Semifinals and finals

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2

  Semifinals Final
                 
1  San Diego State 62  
3  Baylor 76  
    3  Baylor 63
  2  Penn State 69
2  Notre Dame 59
2  Penn State 67  

* denotes each overtime played

Game Summaries

NIT Championship

Teams 1st Half 2nd Half Final
Penn State 25 44 69
Baylor 29 34 63

The Penn State Nittany Lions faced off against the Baylor Bears in the NIT Championship game. The Nittany Lions won the matchup 69-63, aided by Jamelle Cornley's 18 points. In a four-point deficit at the half, the Lions went on a 7-1 spurt to take a 2 point lead at the beginning of the second. After the Bears tied it at 37, Penn State made three consecutive threes from which Baylor could not recover.[1]

See also

References

External links