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NIT 2024: Who’s competing for an NIT championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse?

Brandon Judd
·9 min read
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Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse during game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Indianapolis. The 2024 NIT semifinals, which will be played Tuesday, and championship game Thursday, will be played at the historic venue.
Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse during game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Indianapolis. The 2024 NIT semifinals, which will be played Tuesday, and championship game Thursday, will be played at the historic venue. | Doug McSchooler

INDIANAPOLIS — Four teams will be competing at a historic basketball venue over the next couple of days for the right to take home the NIT championship.

In the first semifinal Tuesday, Utah plays Indiana State. In the nightcap, Georgia will take on Seton Hall.

On Thursday evening, the NIT championship will be decided at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

“We know it’s going to be a very difficult environment to play in but like I said, we’re excited to go out there and really compete and put our best foot forward and see what happens,” Utah coach Craig Smith said.

Who will emerge victorious?

Here’s a look at the schedule, as well as each of the four teams:

NIT final four schedule

Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.

Semifinals

Tuesday

  • Utah (22-14) vs. Indiana State (31-6), 5 p.m. MDT (ESPN).

  • Georgia (20-16) vs. Seton Hall (23-12), 7:30 p.m. MDT(ESPN2).

Championship

Thursday

  • Utah/Indiana State winner vs. Georgia/Seton Hall winner, 5 p.m. MDT (ESPN).

0327bkcutes.spt_MN_03 .JPG
Utah Utes guard Deivon Smith (5) shoots the ball with Virginia Commonwealth Rams forward Christian Fermin (21) on defense during an NIT quarterfinal game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Utah Runnin’ Utes (22-14)

Path to NIT semifinals: Beat UC Irvine 84-75 (at home), beat Iowa 91-82 (home), beat VCU 74-54 (home).

Five names to know:

  • Branden Carlson, center — 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 50% field goals.

  • Gabe Madsen, guard — 13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 38.7% 3-pointers.

  • Deivon Smith, guard — 12.7 points, 7.1 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals.

  • Cole Bajema, guard — 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 39.3% 3-pointers.

  • Keba Keita, center — 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks.

Stats that define the Utes:

  • The Utes average 17.6 assists per game, 12th nationally, and have a 1.52 assist-to-turnover ratio, 30th best in the country.

  • Utah shoots 36.3% from 3-point range, making 9.1 per game, while it’s also ninth nationally in defensive rebounding (29.0).

  • Smith has five triple-doubles this season, breaking the Pac-12 single-season record set by Jason Kidd, and is just one short of tying the NCAA record set by BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth. Smith has posted triple-doubles in the past two games.

What’s at stake: Utah is making its fifth appearance in the NIT semifinals and has a 3-1 all-time record in the semis. The Utes made it to the 2018 NIT championship game in their most recent tournament appearance and won the NIT title once, in 1947.

Quotable: “For me, I’m the only one up here that doesn’t have any more eligibility so just being able to continue our season and play these games and more time with these amazing friends and brothers of mine, it’s been great. It’s been a good experience,” said Utah center Branden Carlson. “We love playing basketball and just being able to have more games and more opportunities to play has been amazing.”

Indiana State guard Isaiah Swope (2), right, shoots against Michigan State center Mady Sissoko (22) during a game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich. | Al Goldis
Indiana State guard Isaiah Swope (2), right, shoots against Michigan State center Mady Sissoko (22) during a game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich. | Al Goldis

Indiana State Sycamores (31-6)

Path to NIT semifinals: Beat SMU 101-92 (at home), beat Minnesota 76-64 (home), beat Cincinnati 85-81 (home).

Five names to know:

  • Robbie Avila, center — 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 38.9% 3-pointers.

  • Ryan Conwell, guard — 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 41.9% 3-pointers.

  • Isaiah Swope, guard — 15.8 points, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals.

  • Jayson Kent, guard — 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 63.9% field goals.

  • Julian Larry, guard — 10.7 points, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals.

Stats that define the Sycamores:

  • The Sycamores are one of the country’s most efficient offenses, leading Division I in effective field goal percentage (59.9%) and making the top five in field goal percentage (50.4%, third), free-throw percentage (79.7%, third) and 3-pointers per game (10.9, fourth).

  • Indiana State is also 11th nationally in both assists per game (17.7) and 3-point percentage (38.3%).

  • The Sycamores led the Missouri Valley Conference in defensive efficiency (100.3), according to KenPom, and hold opponents to 33.5% shooting from 3-point range.

What’s at stake: This is Indiana State’s fifth appearance in the NIT and the Sycamores’ deepest run in the tournament. Indiana State, which played in the 1979 NCAA championship game where it lost to Michigan State, is over 30 wins for only the second time in school history.

Quotable: “I feel like the season has been nothing but a blessing to be honest,” said Indiana State guard Ryan Conwell. “I feel like just being able to just be surrounded by God, by my teammates and coaches who genuinely love and support you through whatever, it’s been nothing short of a blessing. I’m just glad that we can still play.”

Georgia guard Noah Thomasson (3) drives against Florida guard Riley Kugel (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. | John Bazemore
Georgia guard Noah Thomasson (3) drives against Florida guard Riley Kugel (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. | John Bazemore

Georgia Bulldogs (20-16)

Path to NIT semifinals: Beat Xavier 78-76 (at home), beat Wake Forest 72-66 (on the road), beat Ohio State 79-77 (road).

Five names to know:

  • Noah Thomasson, guard — 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 41.4% field goals.

  • *Jabri Abdur-Rahim, guard — 12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 35.6% 3-pointers.

  • RJ Melendez, guard — 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals.

  • Justin Hill, guard — 9.6 points, 2.2 assists.

  • Russel Tchewa, center — 7.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 55.2% field goals.

*Has missed the past seven games with an ankle injury, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Stats that define the Bulldogs:

  • Thomasson, who is the only Georgia player to start every game this season, is two points shy of 1,500 for his career entering the game against Seton Hall. He’s scored in double-figures 26 times this season.

  • All 12 players on scholarship for the Bulldogs who have played during the 2023-24 season have started at least two games, as Georgia has utilized a dozen different starting lineups. Among them, Frank Anselem-Ibe has started the past two games for Georgia and had season highs of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Ohio State.

  • Georgia is the only team in the four NIT semifinalists to win on the road en route to the Hinkle Fieldhouse — the Bulldogs won on the road in the second round and quarterfinals, two days apart.

What’s at stake: Georgia is making its 15th appearance in the NIT, and this year matches the furthest the Bulldogs have advanced — they also reached the semifinals in 1982 and 1998.

Quotable: “I think we’ve seen a change in Georgia basketball. And it’s going to keep growing, even when we’re not here. I think that was the main goal, of us coming here and help build something that’s bigger than us,” said Georgia center Russel Tchewa. “I hope coach (Mike) White and the rest of the staff keeps making those strides to bring Georgia back to where it needs to be and not just be a football school. We can be an every-sport school. That’s the main goal.”

Seton Hall's Al-Amir Dawes (2) shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against St. John's in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Conference tournament, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in New York. | Frank Franklin II
Seton Hall's Al-Amir Dawes (2) shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against St. John's in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Conference tournament, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in New York. | Frank Franklin II

Seton Hall Pirates (23-12)

Path to NIT semifinals: Beat Saint Joseph’s 75-72 (at home), beat North Texas 72-58 (home), beat UNLV 91-68 (home).

Five names to know:

  • Kadary Richmond, guard — 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.2 steals.

  • Dre Davis, forward — 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 49.1% field goals.

  • Al-Amir Dawes, guard — 14.6 points, 1.1 steals, 37.8% 3-pointers.

  • Dylan Addae-Wusu, guard — 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists.

  • Jaden Bediako, center — 8.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 61.4% field goals.

Stats that define the Pirates:

  • Several Seton Hall players have upped their game during the postseason. In NIT play, Dawes has averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists, Davis has averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, and Richmond has seen an uptick in rebounds (8.3), assists (7.0) and steals (3.0).

  • Seton Hall has one of the most experienced starting lineups in the country with four seniors and a grad student in the starting five. The Pirates are 10th nationally in KenPom’s Division I Experience metric (3.05 years).

  • The Pirates, as members of the Big East Conference, have more experience than the rest of the remaining NIT field at Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of the Butler Bulldogs. Seton Hall has won six of its last eight games at Hinkle against Butler, including the last three.

What’s at stake: While Seton Hall is no stranger to the NIT, this is the Pirates’ 19th appearance. The school hasn’t reached the semifinals since 1953, the same year Seton Hall won its lone NIT championship. Seton Hall is 1-2 all-time in NIT semifinal action, including a loss to eventual champion BYU in 1951.

Quotable: “Before we came down, or way before that, talking about the NIT, you know, we said if we were going to partake in this that we were going to go far with it and give it our best shot, and now that we’re here, like you said, we’re truly blessed,” said Seton Hall guard Al-Amir Dawes. “We all just taking it a step at a time, trying to bring the hardware home.”