Stony Brook visits Seton Hall in NIT opener
Stony Brook's Leonard Hayes (15) drives against Vermont's Clancy Rugg (31) in the second half. Vermont defeated Stony Brook 51-43 in the America East final at Stony Brook University. (March 10, 2012) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
There are two appealing aspects to Stony Brook's postseason consolation prize, the NIT.
One is that it will play its first-round game Tuesday against a Big East team, Seton Hall, a chance to match up with an area power-conference member.
The other is that the game will be played in South Orange, N.J., roughly 20 minutes from Stony Brook senior Bryan Dougher's hometown of Scotch Plains.
Dougher, of course, is the cornerstone to Stony Brook's rise in Division I competition. He set Stony Brook's career Division I scoring record during Saturday's crushing loss to Vermont in the America East Tournament final, which kept Stony Brook from a date in the NCAA Tournament.
As the America East regular- season champion, Stony Brook (22-9) earned an automatic berth in the NIT. But its mid-major status kept it a No. 8 seed and potentially facing only road games in the 32-team NIT. (A conflict of arena availability for host teams could change that, but a Stony Brook win likely would produce a second-round game at either Massachusetts or Mississippi State.)
Until the semifinals March 27 and the final March 29 at Madison Square Garden, all games will be played at campus sites.
This is Stony Brook's second appearance in the NIT, which debuted in 1938 and predates the NCAA Tournament by a year but long ago lost its status as the premier postseason tournament.
Stony Brook, which never has played in the NCAA Tournament since its move to Division I 13 years ago, lost at home to Illinois in an NIT first-round game two years ago.
Seton Hall (20-12) finished ninth in the Big East this season with an 8-10 conference record and was eliminated from the conference tournament in the second round by eventual champion Louisville.
