Heels, Huskies highlight NIT bracket

If you can’t quite wait for Thursday and the start of the NCAA Tournament, the NIT tips off on Tuesday night with a few of college basketball’s normal heavyweights, North Carolina and Connecticut, headlining the field.

Of course Carolina is the defending national champion, while UConn lost in the Final Four last season to Michigan State. UNC will play a good William & Mary team at home on Tuesday at 9:30 on ESPN. Despite finishing 16-16, the Heels earned a surprisingly high No. 4 seed in the NIT. UNC will play its opening game at Carmichael Arena because of renovations to the Smith Center offices. The Heels haven’t played there since 1986. UNC seems likely to face N.C. State if both teams win their first two games. The winner of that potential matchup would then advance to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

UConn (17-15) faltered down the stretch to cost itself a spot in the NCAAs, a fate sealed by a 22-point rout at the hands of St. John’s in the first round of the Big East tournament. The Huskies also got a No. 4 seed for the NIT and will open against Northeastern (20-12), which lost in the semis of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun formerly coached at Northeastern.

Connecticut, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona and Indiana are all out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1966. Sixteen teams host first-round NIT games, and teams must win three times to advance to the semifinals in New York. he No. 1 seeds are Illinois, Arizona State, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State. Arizona State will open against Jacksonville, with the winner getting Seton Hall or Texas Tech in the second round.

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