Northwestern hopes to learn from last year's NIT debacle

Northwestern senior guard Jeremy Nash recalls not being satisfied with last year's NIT berth.

"We were feeling we should've made the big tournament because of the quality wins we had," Nash said.

That attitude probably didn't contribute much to the Wildcats' first-round loss at Tulsa.

But just in case, Nash says he and his teammates are carrying a different mindset as they prepare for this year's NIT adventure.

Northwestern (20-13) captured the final at-large spot in the 32-team field as the No. 7 seed in the Virginia Tech regional. The Wildcats hit the road for a 6 p.m. game Wednesday at second-seeded Rhode Island (23-9).

It marks the first back-to-back postseason bids in school annals - and it requires several players to juggle this week's final-exam schedule.

"I'm trying to win it all and get to Madison Square Garden, where I'm pretty sure none of us have ever been," said Nash, the only graduating scholarship senior on the team. "I'm excited to continue to play."

Illinois (19-14), Arizona State (22-10) and Mississippi State (23-11) claimed the other No. 1 seeds.

The Illini and the Wildcats can't meet until the NIT title game April 1, but Illinois State has a chance for a rare meeting with an in-state Big Ten school.

The Redbirds (22-10), who are part of the NIT for the third year in a row, are the No. 6 seed in Illinois' regional and open Wednesday at Dayton.

If the Illini and Redbirds win their first two games, they'd meet for a Final Four berth on March 23 or 24 at Assembly Hall.