So the Cougars (26-10) head back to New York and Madison Square Garden for the second time in four years, and will face defensive-minded Valparaiso (29-6) of the Horizon League on Tuesday in a semifinal game. Tipoff will be at either 5 p.m or 7:30 p.m., depending on ESPN's desires.
The NIT championship game is March 31; BYU actually won the NIT 50 years ago (1966) when it was more prestigious than it is now, having taken a backseat to the NCAA Tournament through the years. The Cougars also won it in 1951.
"We will look forward to playing Valpo, a team we haven't played, a team we don't know much about.