Before we start the preview, a programming note: because it is Thanksgiving, there might or might not be a recap of this game and/or preview/recap of the championship or third place game. I’ll do my best, but I may be suffering from apple pie overdose. Happy Thanksgiving.
Kansas faces Marquette in the semifinals of the NIT season tip off, what used to be the preseason NIT, and what once was probably the premier Thanksgiving weekend event. Unfortunately it’s now at Barclays Center in Brooklyn rather than Madison Square Garden.
Marquette provides one distinct challenge to Kansas: they take and make a lot of threes and Kansas has had a horrible time defending the three.