2002 National Invitation Tournament

Selected teams

Below is a list of the 40 teams selected for the tournament.

Georgetown declines invitation

Big East Conference member Georgetown originally was among the teams selected, but declined to take part. Hoyas head coach Craig Esherick explained that Georgetown's home court, the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., was booked to host the East Regional of the 2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, meaning that accepting the NIT invitation would have required the Hoyas to play on the road in the West for two weeks, forcing his players to miss many of their classes. After playing a similar schedule the previous season during the 2001 NCAA tournament, Esherick had concluded that missing so many classes to play in the NIT, a tournament which did not offer a chance for a national championship, was not in the best interest of Georgetowns players.

Esherick's controversial decision meant that Georgetown had no postseason play for the first time since the 1973–74 season. Georgetown became the first team to turn down an NIT bid since Louisville turned down a bid to the 1987 NIT.

Bracket

Below are the four first-round brackets, along with the four-team championship bracket. | RD1-seed01= | RD1-team01= | RD1-score01= | RD1-seed02= | RD1-team02= | RD1-score02= | RD1-seed03= | RD1-team03= | RD1-score03= | RD1-seed04= | RD1-team04= | RD1-score04= | RD1-seed05= | RD1-team05= | RD1-score05= | RD1-seed06= | RD1-team06= | RD1-score06= | RD1-seed07= | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= | RD1-seed08= | RD1-team08= | RD1-score08= | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09= | RD1-score09= | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10= | RD1-score10= | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11= | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12= | RD1-score12= | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13=Richmond | RD1-score13=74 | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14=Wagner | RD1-score14=67 | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15=Montana State | RD1-score15=77 | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16=Utah State | RD1-score16=69 | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01=Syracuse | RD2-score01=76 | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=St. Bonaventure | RD2-score02=66 | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=Butler | RD2-score03=81 | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04=Bowling Green | RD2-score04=69 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05=Minnesota | RD2-score05=96 | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=New Mexico | RD2-score06=62 | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07=Richmond | RD2-score07=63 | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Montana State | RD2-score08=48 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Syracuse | RD3-score01=66 | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02=Butler | RD3-score02=65 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03=Minnesota | RD3-score03=66 | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=Richmond | RD3-score04=67 | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01=Syracuse | RD4-score01=62 | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=Richmond | RD4-score02=46

| RD1-seed01= | RD1-team01=Ball State | RD1-score01=98 | RD1-seed02= | RD1-team02=South Florida | RD1-score02=92 | RD1-seed03= | RD1-team03=Saint Joseph's | RD1-score03=73 | RD1-seed04= | RD1-team04=George Mason | RD1-score04=64 | RD1-seed05= | RD1-team05= | RD1-score05= | RD1-seed06= | RD1-team06= | RD1-score06= | RD1-seed07= | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= | RD1-seed08= | RD1-team08= | RD1-score08= | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09= | RD1-score09= | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10= | RD1-score10= | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11= | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12= | RD1-score12= | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13= | RD1-score13= | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14= | RD1-score14= | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15= | RD1-score15= | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16= | RD1-score16= | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01=Ball State | RD2-score01=75 | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=Saint Joseph's | RD2-score02=65 | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=LSU | RD2-score03=63 | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04=Iowa | RD2-score04=61 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05=UNLV | RD2-score05=96 | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=Arizona State | RD2-score06=91 | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07=South Carolina | RD2-score07=74 | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Virginia | RD2-score08=67 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Ball State | RD3-score01=75 | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02=LSU | RD3-score02=65 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03=UNLV | RD3-score03=65 | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=South Carolina | RD3-score04=75 | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01=Ball State | RD4-score01=47 | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=South Carolina | RD4-score02=82

| RD1-seed01= | RD1-team01= | RD1-score01= | RD1-seed02= | RD1-team02= | RD1-score02= | RD1-seed03= | RD1-team03= | RD1-score03= | RD1-seed04= | RD1-team04= | RD1-score04= | RD1-seed05= | RD1-team05= | RD1-score05= | RD1-seed06= | RD1-team06= | RD1-score06= | RD1-seed07= | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= | RD1-seed08= | RD1-team08= | RD1-score08= | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09= | RD1-score09= | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10= | RD1-score10= | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11= | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12= | RD1-score12= | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13=Louisiana Tech | RD1-score13=83 | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14=Louisiana–Lafayette | RD1-score14=63 | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15=Vanderbilt | RD1-score15=59 | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16=Houston | RD1-score16=50 | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01=Temple | RD2-score01=81 | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=Fresno State | RD2-score02=75 | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=Louisville | RD2-score03=66 | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04=Princeton | RD2-score04=65 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05=Villanova | RD2-score05=84 | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=Manhattan | RD2-score06=69 | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07=Louisiana Tech | RD2-score07=83 | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=Vanderbilt | RD2-score08=68 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Temple | RD3-score01=65 | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02=Louisville | RD3-score02=62 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03=Villanova | RD3-score03=67 | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=Louisiana Tech | RD3-score04=64 | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01=Temple | RD4-score01=63 | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=Villanova | RD4-score02=57

| RD1-seed01= | RD1-team01=Tennessee Tech | RD1-score01=64 | RD1-seed02= | RD1-team02=Georgia State | RD1-score02=62 | RD1-seed03= | RD1-team03=Dayton | RD1-score03=80 | RD1-seed04= | RD1-team04=Detroit | RD1-score04=69 | RD1-seed05= | RD1-team05= | RD1-score05= | RD1-seed06= | RD1-team06= | RD1-score06= | RD1-seed07= | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= | RD1-seed08= | RD1-team08= | RD1-score08= | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09= | RD1-score09= | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10= | RD1-score10= | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11= | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12= | RD1-score12= | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13= | RD1-score13= | RD1-seed14= | RD1-team14= | RD1-score14= | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15= | RD1-score15= | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16= | RD1-score16= | RD2-seed01= | RD2-team01=Tennessee Tech | RD2-score01=68 | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02=Dayton | RD2-score02=59 | RD2-seed03= | RD2-team03=Yale | RD2-score03=67 | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04=Rutgers | RD2-score04=65 | RD2-seed05= | RD2-team05=BYU | RD2-score05=78 | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06=UC Irvine | RD2-score06=55 | RD2-seed07= | RD2-team07=Memphis | RD2-score07=82 | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08=UNC Greensboro | RD2-score08=62 | RD3-seed01= | RD3-team01=Tennessee Tech | RD3-score01=80 | RD3-seed02= | RD3-team02=Yale | RD3-score02=61 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03=BYU | RD3-score03=69 | RD3-seed04= | RD3-team04=Memphis | RD3-score04=80 | RD4-seed01= | RD4-team01=Tennessee Tech | RD4-score01=73 | RD4-seed02= | RD4-team02=Memphis | RD4-score02=79

Semifinals & finals

| RD1-seed1= | RD1-team1=Syracuse | RD1-score1=59 | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2=South Carolina | RD1-score2=66 | RD1-seed3= | RD1-team3=Temple | RD1-score3=77 | RD1-seed4= | RD1-team4=Memphis | RD1-score4=78 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-team1=South Carolina | RD2-score1=62 | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team2=Memphis | RD2-score2=72

| RD1-seed1= | RD1-team1=Syracuse | RD1-score1=54 | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2=Temple | RD1-score2=65

References

References

1. [http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason-results-2000s.html Tournament Results (2000's)] at nit.org, URL accessed November 5, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100327053218/http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason-results-2000s.html Archived] 11/5/09
2. [http://www.michigandaily.com/content/georgetowns-esherick-class-act-march Horn, David, "Georgetown's Esherick the Class Act of March," ''The Michigan Daily'', March 13, 2002.]
3. [http://dailyutahchronicle.com/2002/03/12/georgetown-declines-nit-bid/ Associated Press, "Georgetown Declines NIT Bid," ''The Daily Utah Chronicle'', March 12, 2002.] {{webarchive. link. (February 3, 2017)