The waiting game is almost over for Rutgers. But only after a few more agonizing hours.
The Scarlet Knights figure to be the most-discussed team in America on Selection Sunday. No one — except the fine folks on the NCAA Tournament selection committee — knows whether they will be invited to the Big Dance or not.
Will Rutgers’ slew of quality wins and top-4 finish in the Big Ten earn them a bid, even if its a ticket to Dayton for the First Four? Or will their low NET ranking and disastrous non-conference slate still come back to bite them in the end? We’ll find out a little after 6 p.m. ET.
Until then, be sure to refresh this post throughout the day for updates on the Scarlet Knights’ hopes based on the results of the final day of conference tournament action nationwide:
3:19 p.m. ET. Local bracketologist Brad Wachtel still has Rutgers as his last team in. Buckle up.
3:15 p.m. ET. A potentially devastating result from Washington: Richmond just rallied to upset Davidson in the Atlantic-10 final. The Spiders have stolen a bid; Davidson is believed to be comfortably in the field no matter what.
2 p.m. ET. New Jersey’s dream of four teams in the Big Dance is dashed. Yale just held off a fierce Princeton rally to upset the Tigers in the Ivy League final, securing the conference’s automatic bid.
11 a.m. ET. The first game Rutgers fans need to watch today? Texas A&M and Tennessee in the SEC title game at 1 p.m. ET. The Aggies are likely already in the field. But a Tennessee win would not make it a given.
10:52 a.m. ET. Very quickly. Let’s say Rutgers does not make the Big Dance. It would be a lock to make the NIT. But what would that look like? There are nowhere near as many NIT projections, but there are a few. Most have Rutgers pegged as either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, with a chance to play three home games at Jersey Mike’s Arena before the NIT final four at Madison Square Garden. Here’s a look at one projected bracket.
10 a.m. ET. It’s not looking great for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is included in about half the brackets cataloged by Bracket Matrix. But many of the nation’s most prominent bracketologists are casting doubt on Rutgers’ chances. You can read the full rundown here.
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James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com.
