North Carolina State had one of the easiest wins thus far in any postseason tournament thus far, defeating Davidson 75-61 in the first round of the NIT last week. The Wolfpack never trailed as the Power Five representative showcased a clear edge over the Wildcats. Building off victories has been a huge problem for North Carolina State. Look for top-seeded Colorado State to take advantage of the Wolfpack’s inconsistent play.

The motivation of a team is always in question when a power six conference school appears in the NIT. I truly believe this NC State team wants to be here and takes a lot of pride in advancing and potentially winning this tournament. Look for the Wolfpack to rely on their experience in a much tougher conference as the Rams have really struggled of late, much like other Mountain West schools like Boise State, Utah State and San Diego State who all though they were NCAA tournament teams.

No. 3 NC State vs. No. 1 Colorado State in NIT quarterfinal from Texas. Wish I had jumped on this when it was a pick'em. KenPom has these teams very close in its overall rankings, but obviously the Wolfpack played the much tougher schedule in the ACC, and the two Mountain West schools (Colorado State's conference) in the NCAA Tournament flamed out in Round 1, for what that's worth. NC State has been playing great defense (other than one game) in winning six of seven. The team wants to be here with a few seniors telling coach Kevin Keatts to accept the NIT invite. The Rams have dropped two of four and barely got by Buffalo in Round 1. They are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as underdogs.