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Mid-Major All Tournament Team There will be some serious mid-major talent featured in the early rounds of the NIT Season Tip-Off including a pair of projected 2013 lottery picks in Tony Mitchell and CJ McCollum. Tony Mitchell, North Texas – Mitchell is unlike anything you’d expect to find in the Sun Belt. He’s 6-foot-8, 235 pounds with a 41-inch vertical and a 7-foot-4 wingspan. Measurables more than good enough to make NBA scouts drool. Mitchell was a top-20 recruit out of high school and attended four schools in three states. He was ruled an academic non-qualifier at Missouri before paying his own way to North Texas. After playing one semester, or 22 games, last season, Mitchell opted to forgo the NBA draft and return for his sophomore season in North Texas. Read more: http://www.umhoops.com/2012/09/24/first-look-2012-nit-season-tip-off/

- Kansas State: The Wildcats are probably the second best team in this event, but they are also the most likely to get dropped prior to their trip to MSG. Why? Because of a potential second round date with North Texas. The Mean Green are loaded this season, especially if Jordan Williams and Chris Jones can stay eligible. Why? Because, in addition to talents like Alzee Williams, Justin Patton and Roger Franklin, UNT has Tony Mitchell on their roster. As in potential lottery pick Tony Mitchell. Read more: http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/11/preseason-nit-brackets-released-whos-getting-upset/

Of the other mid-majors in the field, it is unlikely that any will advance to MSG. Delaware should get by Penn, but taking down Virginia will be difficult. And Cleveland State will likely run into Michigan in the second round. One other thing to watch in the field: North Texas has Alabama-Huntsville and then a likely date with Kansas State. It will be a nice two game showcase for sophomore Tony Mitchell, who scored an eye-opening 9.45 HW30 as a freshman. The Mean Green could definitely put on a show without a lot of preseason hype. Read More: http://www.midmajormadness.com/2012/9/11/3316354/preseason-nit-field-bracket-michigan-pittsburgh-lehigh

Led by veteran head coach Lennie Acuff, Alabama-Huntsville returns eight lettermen, including three starters, from a squad that won 29 games and advanced to the Division II Elite Eight in 2011-12. The Chargers will be led by Gulf South Conference scoring leader Jaime Smith (18.0 ppg.). North Texas, which will be under first-year head coach Tony Benford, returns all five starters from a team that won 18 games and advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament final a year ago. The Mean Green squad includes Lou Henson Award finalist (Mid-Major Player of the Year) Tony Mitchell, who was the only freshman in the country to average a double-double (14.7 ppg., 10.3 rpg.). He was the first freshman since Michael Beasley in 2007-08 to post multiple 30-point, 15-rebound games. The 28th annual NIT Season Tip-Off will include eight seeded teams, including the four top seeds and five-seed Lehigh, six-seed Robert Morris, seven-seed Cleveland State and eight-seed Delaware. Michigan will host Bowling Green, Cleveland State and IUPUI in the North Region, Pittsburgh will host Fordham, Lehigh and Robert Morris in the East Region and Virginia will host Delaware, Fairfield and Penn in the South Region. Individual ticket prices for the preliminary rounds at Bramlage Coliseum will be announced at a later date. Ticket information for the potential semifinal and final games at Madison Square Garden will also be communicated to Ahearn Fund members and season ticket holders at a later date. Kansas State, led by first-year head coach Bruce Weber, returns 12 lettermen, including four starters, from a team that won 22 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years. Read more: http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/K-State-To-Host-NIT-Season-Tip-Off-Midwest-Region--169389686.html?ref=686

Read more: http://bloguin.com/runthefloor/2012-articles/june/ranking-the-2012-13-college-basketball-holiday-tournaments.html