Men’s hoops to play for NIT championship

Tuesday night, the Baylor men’s basketball team played at the most famous basketball arena in the world — New York City’s Madison Square Garden — for the first time since appearing in the Final Four in 1948 and 1950. (You don’t remember that? Baylor standout Jackie Robinson does.) The glitz and glamour didn’t faze the Bears, who once again rolled, beating top-seed San Diego State 76-62 to advance to the NIT Championship Game (Thursday, 6 p.m. CT, ESPN).

The Bears did get a chance to sightsee just a little bit despite encountering some hiccups during their travel on Sunday (read more about their trip at BaylorBears.com’s excellent Full Court Press blog). Even other tourists recognized something was special about the group as they wandered NYC, posing for pictures with players like Mamadou Diene. (Click here for a photo gallery from their trip so far; thanks to Baylor Photography for the pics.)

Much like last year’s NCAA Tournament selection, the Bears’ incredible turnaround — from seven weeks in the top 25, to finishing a disappointing ninth place in the Big 12, to making the NIT championship — has made for quite a story. USA Today ran an excellent feature on Baylor prior to Tuesday’s game, while the Fort Worth Star-Telegram highlighted head coach Scott Drew. The Waco Tribune-Herald even created a special page compiling much of their coverage and adding a place for well-wishers to share their encouragements for the team.

Sic ’em one more time, Baylor basketball!