NIT Tournament 2011 Bracket Update: Colorado Defeats Texas Southern, 88-74

Denied a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the Colorado Buffaloes received a No. 1 seed in the NIT Tournament and an Opening Round contest with the No. 8 Texas Southern Tigers. The Buffs easily handled Texas Southern with an 88-74 victory. They held the lead for roughly all but 40 seconds of the game, and had a 15-point lead at halftime, 44-29.

The Tigers attempted to make it a competitive game in the second half, outscoring the Buffs 45-44. However, it was just too difficult to overcome the Buffs' early lead. Harrison Smith led the team with 24 points, while Kevin Galloway had a game-high 11 assists to go with three steals. The team went 8-of-28 from beyond the arc.

Alec Burks led the Buffaloes with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. He made 8-of-9 shots from the field and was 10-of-13 from the free throw line. He helped the Buffs shoot 61.2 percent from the field. Cory Higgins dropped 25 points on 8-of-11 field goals. Off the bench, Andre Roberson scored 15 points and pulled down eight boards.

Colorado plays the winner of the Cal-Ole Miss contest.

2011 NIT Tournament Preview: Colorado Tries To Prove NCAA Selection Committee Wrong

The Colorado Buffaloes are arguably the best 17-seed team in the NCAA Tournament. So while the NCAA Tournament only seeds up to 16, the Buffs are resigned to play in the NIT tonight against the Texas Southern Tigers at 7:00 p.m. MT.

As the 1-seed in the NIT, though, CU does have some advantages over playing in the NCAA Tournament. Namely, they could play up to three more games in Boulder. Also their snub has probably given them more national attention than they would have warranted had they been dancing.

How many national talking heads have discussed NCAA-bound Missouri or Utah State compared to the number of people who have come out against CU's snub? For CU seniors Marcus Relphorde, Levi Knutson and Cory Higgins -- and potentially Alec Burks -- there probably isn't any solace in not making the tournament, but for the program, the fans, alumni and head coach Tad Boyle, getting snubbed might be the spark that sets this program on fire.

What CU needs to do is make a deep run in the tournament. There are plenty of examples of teams getting shut out of the NCAA and fizzling in the NIT, because their drive just isn't there. CU needs to do the opposite. They need to come out and make a run at the finals in Madison Square Garden. Show everyone who they really are. Sure, the national spotlight will be mostly off them once the Thursday rolls around, but in order for that spark to burn, they need to fan it, and each win is another gust of air, giving the fire life.

The Buffs next quest begins tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Coors Events Center in Boulder. The game can also be seen on ESPN3.com.