Clemson and Air Force Fill the Other Side of the NIT Final Four

One more NIT post before tomorrow, when the NCAA games start, and we all lose interest in everything else going on in the world ...

Clemson tried their hardest to blow a 17-point lead against Syracuse, but ultimately, couldn't pull it off. The number 17 is not a kind one for Clemson. They started out the season 17-0, before losing 10 of their next 14. They went up by 17 tonight, and Syracuse stormed back.

The Cuse's Josh Wright had a chance to tie things up with a very good look at a three-ball with 10 seconds left, but it clanked. Clemson got the rebound, was fouled, hit a couple of free throws, and that was all she wrote. Demetris Nichols shot 3-of-8 from beyond the arc for Syracuse. The rest of the team combined for 0-of-8. Clemson heads to the Garden for the NIT semifinals.

And they'll be joined there by the Air Force Falcons, who won a thriller (which is not often said about 52-51 games) against DePaul. In the NIT, top seeds get to play at home until the semifinals, which is a bigger advantage for Air Force than it is for most people. They beat DePaul in their own building last night, running their non-conference home winning streak to 33 games. That's a pretty solid home court advantage.

Tuesday night, it'll be West Virginia against Mississippi State, and Clemson against Air Force. Times still yet to be determined.