NIT bracket 2021: Tournament schedule; Mississippi State vs. Memphis to meet in championship

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The NIT final is set, and it will be a regional battle as No. 1 seed Memphis will take on No. 4 seed Mississippi State on Sunday for the title. Memphis beat fellow No. 1 seed Colorado State 90-67 while Mississippi State outlasted fellow No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech 84-62 on Saturday to reach this point.

If Saturday’s semifinals were any indication, the championship game could be a 3-point shootout. Memphis made 14-of-27 3-pointers against Colorado State while Mississippi State made 10-of-20 in its victory over Louisiana Tech.

Sunday will mark the end of a four-game journey for the teams, who have been in Texas for the duration of the event. Normally, the last four teams in the NIT would gather in New York at Madison Square for the tournament’s semifinals and finals, but the 2021 event is bringing a wrinkle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire event has been staged at two venues in the Dallas suburbs in an effort to reduce travel.

Memphis had hoped to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team but saw its hopes dashed with a pair of losses to Houston in the days leading up to Selection Sunday. However, an NIT title would help salvage some momentum heading into coach Penny Hardaway’s fourth season. Mississippi State was one of the last teams to qualify for the 16-team NIT, but the Bulldogs have made their time in the event count after finishing just 8-10 in SEC play this year.

Sunday’s action will also feature a third-place game between Colorado State and Louisiana Tech.

Here is the full NIT bracket.