With 2003 Utah State's first NIT game underway against 1963 Bowling Green, all 358 teams have played a Value Add Basketball Game except 2019 Wofford, which received a bye and now will play UNC Wilmington. The final 10 teams created were to give all 31 conferences a team in the game.
At first glance you may wonder why we didn't go with Bowling Green's Number 7 team the year before, rather than this squad which barely won a fairly weak MAC conference by one game over three teams at a time when you had to win your conference to go to the conference.
MAC Conf Overall
Bowling Green State 9–3
19-8
Ohio 8-4 13-11
Toledo 8-4 13-11
Miami (Ohio) 8-4 12-12
Western Michigan 7-5 12-12
Marshall 1-11 7-16
Kent State 1-11 3-18
The answer is February 18, 1963,when Butch Komives put up 32 points
and one of the greatest players of all time Nate Thurmond added 24 points and
12 rebounds as Bowling Green destroyed the No. 2 team in the country and
eventual national champs Loyola of Illinois 92-75 as recounted in Windy City Five Caught In BG Draft.
Meanwhile Utah State often has great maturity due to many Latter Day Saints players who are a few years older after already doing their mission years. As a 15-seed they had two 3-point shots in the closing 10 seconds against Kansas that would have sent the game to overtime. Kansas then went all the way to the National Championship, destroying Dwyane Wade and Marquette before losing to Syracuse.
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