# 2011 National Invitation Tournament

The 2011 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2011 NCAA tournament. The 74th annual tournament began March 15 on campus sites ended on March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Wichita State defeated Alabama, 66–57, to win its first NIT title.

## Participants
### Automatic qualifiers

The following teams are automatic qualifiers for the 2011 NIT field; by virtue of winning their conferences' regular season championship and not qualifying for the NCAA tournament as an "at-large" bid.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Bethune–Cookman | MEAC | 21–12 | 1st | Never |
| Coastal Carolina | Big South | 28–5 | 2nd | 2010 |
| College of Charleston | Southern | 24–10 | 4th | 2003 |
| Fairfield | MAAC | 24–7 | 6th | 2003 |
| Florida Atlantic | Sun Belt | 21–10 | 1st | Never |
| Kent State | MAC | 23–11 | 9th | 2010 |
| Long Beach State | Big West | 22–11 | 6th | 2000 |
| McNeese State | Southland | 21–11 | 3rd | 2001 |
| Milwaukee | Horizon | 19–13 | 2nd | 2004 |
| Missouri State | Missouri Valley | 25–8 | 9th | 2007 |
| Murray State | Ohio Valley | 23–8 | 7th | 1996 |
| Saint Mary's | West Coast | 25–8 | 2nd | 2009 |
| Texas Southern | SWAC | 19–12 | 1st | Never |
| Vermont | America East | 23–8 | 2nd | 2007 |

### At-large bids

The following 18 teams were also awarded NIT berths.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Alabama | SEC | 21–11 | 11th | 2007 |
| Boston College | ACC | 20–12 | 11th | 2003 |
| California | Pac-10 | 17–14 | 7th | 2008 |
| Cleveland State | Horizon | 26–8 | 4th | 2008 |
| Colorado | Big 12 | 21–13 | 9th | 2006 |
| Colorado State | Mountain West | 19–12 | 7th | 1999 |
| Dayton | Atlantic 10 | 22–13 | 23rd | 2010 |
| Harvard | Ivy | 23–6 | 1st | Never |
| Miami (FL) | ACC | 19–14 | 10th | 2009 |
| Nebraska | Big 12 | 19–12 | 17th | 2009 |
| New Mexico | Mountain West | 21–12 | 19th | 2009 |
| Northwestern | Big Ten | 18–13 | 6th | 2010 |
| Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 19–13 | 11th | 2008 |
| Ole Miss | SEC | 20–13 | 10th | 2010 |
| UTEP | C-USA | 25–9 | 9th | 2006 |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | 21–11 | 12th | 2010 |
| Washington State | Pac-10 | 19–12 | 5th | 2009 |
| Wichita State | Missouri Valley | 24–8 | 12th | 2010 |

### Seeds

Alabama Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | 21–11 | At-large |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | ACC | 19–14 | At-large |
| 3 | Missouri State | Missouri Valley | 25–8 | Automatic |
| 4 | New Mexico | Mountain West | 21–12 | At-large |
| 5 | UTEP | C-USA | 25–9 | At-large |
| 6 | Murray State | Ohio Valley | 23–8 | Automatic |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic | Sun Belt | 21–10 | Automatic |
| 8 | Coastal Carolina | Big South | 28–5 | Automatic |
Colorado Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Colorado | Big 12 | 21–13 | At-large |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | West Coast | 25–8 | Automatic |
| 3 | Colorado State | Mountain West | 19–12 | At-large |
| 4 | California | Pac-10 | 17–14 | At-large |
| 5 | Ole Miss | SEC | 20–13 | At-large |
| 6 | Fairfield | MAAC | 24–7 | Automatic |
| 7 | Kent State | MAC | 23–11 | Automatic |
| 8 | Texas Southern | SWAC | 19–12 | Automatic |
Boston College Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Boston College | ACC | 20–12 | At-large |
| 2 | Washington State | Pac-10 | 19–12 | At-large |
| 3 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 19–13 | At-large |
| 4 | Northwestern | Big Ten | 18–13 | At-large |
| 5 | Milwaukee | Horizon | 19–13 | Automatic |
| 6 | Harvard | Ivy | 23–6 | At-large |
| 7 | Long Beach State | Big West | 22–11 | Automatic |
| 8 | McNeese State | Southland | 21–11 | Automatic |
Virginia Tech Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 21–11 | At-large |
| 2 | Cleveland State | Horizon | 26–8 | At-large |
| 3 | Dayton | Atlantic 10 | 22–13 | At-large |
| 4 | Wichita State | Missouri Valley | 24–8 | At-large |
| 5 | Nebraska | Big 12 | 19–12 | At-large |
| 6 | College of Charleston | SoCon | 24–10 | Automatic |
| 7 | Vermont | America East | 23–8 | Automatic |
| 8 | Bethune–Cookman | MEAC | 21–12 | Automatic |

## Bracket

Played on the home court of the higher-seeded team (except #1 Boston College & #3 Dayton in the first round) * – Denotes overtime

### Alabama bracket

| First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 |
| 1 | Alabama | 68 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Coastal Carolina | 44 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Coastal Carolina | 44 | 1 | Alabama | 74 | | | |
| | | | 4 | New Mexico | 67 | | | |
| 4 | New Mexico | 69 | 4 | New Mexico | 67 | | | |
| 5 | UTEP | 57 | | | | | | |
| 5 | UTEP | 57 | | | | 1 | Alabama | 79 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Miami (FL) | 64 |
| 3 | Missouri State | 89 | | | | | | | 2 | Miami (FL) | 64 |
| 6 | Murray State | 76 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Murray State | 76 | 3 | Missouri State | 72 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Miami (FL) | 81 | | | |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 85 | 2 | Miami (FL) | 81 | | | |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic | 62 | | | | | | |

### Colorado bracket

| First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Quarterfinals March 22 | Quarterfinals March 22 | Quarterfinals March 22 |
| 1 | Colorado | 88 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Texas Southern | 74 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Texas Southern | 74 | 1 | Colorado | 89 | | | |
| | | | 4 | California | 72 | | | |
| 4 | California | 77 | 4 | California | 72 | | | |
| 5 | Ole Miss | 74 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Ole Miss | 74 | | | | 1 | Colorado | 81 |
| | | | | | | 7 | Kent State | 74 |
| 3 | Colorado State | 60 | | | | | | | 7 | Kent State | 74 |
| 6 | Fairfield | 62 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Fairfield | 62 | 6 | Fairfield | 68 | | | |
| | | | 7 | Kent State | 72 | | | |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | 70 | 7 | Kent State | 72 | | | |
| 7 | Kent State | 71 | | | | | | |

### Boston College bracket

| First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 |
| 1 | Boston College | 82 | | | | | | |
| 8 | McNeese State | 64 | | | | | | |
| 8 | McNeese State | 64 | 1 | Boston College | 67 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Northwestern | 85 | | | |
| 4 | Northwestern | 70 | 4 | Northwestern | 85 | | | |
| 5 | Milwaukee | 61 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Milwaukee | 61 | | | | 4 | Northwestern | 66 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Washington State | 69* |
| 3 | Oklahoma State | 71 | | | | | | | 2 | Washington State | 69* |
| 6 | Harvard | 54 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Harvard | 54 | 3 | Oklahoma State | 64 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Washington State | 74 | | | |
| 2 | Washington State | 85 | 2 | Washington State | 74 | | | |
| 7 | Long Beach State | 74 | | | | | | |

### Virginia Tech bracket

| First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | First round March 15–16 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Second round March 18–21 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 | Quarterfinals March 23 |
| 1 | Virginia Tech | 79 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bethune–Cookman | 54 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bethune–Cookman | 54 | 1 | Virginia Tech | 76 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Wichita State | 79* | | | |
| 4 | Wichita State | 76 | 4 | Wichita State | 79* | | | |
| 5 | Nebraska | 49 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Nebraska | 49 | | | | 4 | Wichita State | 82 |
| | | | | | | 6 | College of Charleston | 75 |
| 3 | Dayton | 84 | | | | | | | 6 | College of Charleston | 75 |
| 6 | College of Charleston | 94 | | | | | | |
| 6 | College of Charleston | 94 | 6 | College of Charleston | 64 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Cleveland State | 56 | | | |
| 2 | Cleveland State | 63 | 2 | Cleveland State | 56 | | | |
| 7 | Vermont | 60 | | | | | | |

### NIT Final Four

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City
| Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Championship March 31 | Championship March 31 | Championship March 31 |
| 1 | Alabama | 62 | | | |
| 1 | Colorado | 61 | | | |
| 1 | Colorado | 61 | 1 | Alabama | 57 |
| | | | 4 | Wichita State | 66 |
| 2 | Washington State | 44 | 4 | Wichita State | 66 |
| 4 | Wichita State | 75 | | | |