NITty gritty: Team-by-team capsules for NIT semifinalists, including the UNM Lobos

For men's college basketball in the 2025-26 season, all roads have led to the Hoosier State.

This week, the NCAA Tournament's Final Four (the Division I version is the only one with that trademarked' moniker), the National Invitation Tournament semifinals and the Division II and Division III championship games will all be played in Indianapolis.

For those in this neck of the woods, there is plenty of attention on that "other" tournament — the NIT's final four teams.

The UNM Lobos play Tulsa on Thursday night in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in the first of two NIT semifinal games being broadcast nationally on ESPN. Sunday's championship game is at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers.

Let's start the week of hoops off with an in-depth, team-by-team rundown of all four teams.

NIT Semifinals

• Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

• TV: ESPN

• Game 1: Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. New Mexico Lobos (7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT; UNM favored by 4.5 points)

• Game 2: Illinois State Redbirds vs. Auburn Tigers (9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. MT; Auburn favored by 7.5 points)

New Mexico Lobos

• Record: 26-10

• Conference: Mountain West (13-7, tied 3rd)

• Coach: Eric Olen (265-129, 13th season overall; 24-10, first season at UNM)

Computer ratings

• NCAA's NET: 46 (last update, March 16)

• KenPom: 44

• BartTorvic: 48

• Haslametrics: 39

Individual leaders

• Scoring: G Jake Hall (fr.) — 16.3

• Rebounds: F Tomislav Buljan (fr.) — 10.4

• Assists: G Luke Haupt (sr.) — 3.1

• Steals: PG Uriah Tenette (fr.) — 1.5

Team stats

• Points per game: 81.5

• Offensive efficiency (KenPom): 118.2 (57th)

• Points allowed per game: 70.8

• Defensive efficiency (KenPom): 100.8 (42nd)

• Tempo: 48th

• Key stat: Only seven teams in Division I allow teams to shoot a higher percentage of 3-pointers per game. But while they allow teams to shoot a ton of 3s, it isn't as though the Lobos aren't strategic about which 3s are being allowed. UNM's 3-point defense ranks 10th out of 365 Division I teams, allowing teams to hit just 30.2% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Road to Indianapolis

• Round 1: beat Sam Houston State, 107-83

• Round 2: beat George Washington, 86-61

• Quarterfinals: beat Saint Joseph's, 84-69

• Semifinals: vs. Tulsa

• NIT history: 21-21 (third semifinal appearance — 1964, 1990)

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

• Record: 29-7

• Conference: American Conference (13-5, tied 2nd)

• Coach: Erik Konkol (216-142, 11th season overall; 63-67, fourth season at Tulsa)

Computer ratings

• NCAA's NET: 52 (last update, March 16)

• KenPom: 59

• BartTorvic: 61

• Haslametrics: 72

Individual leaders

• Scoring: F David Green (sr.) — 15.7

• Rebounds: F Tyler Behrend (jr.) — 5.2

• Assists: G Tylen Riley (jr.) — 4.4

• Steals: G Ade Popoola (jr.) — 1.4

Team stats

• Points per game: 85.4

• Offensive efficiency (KenPom): 120.8 (36th)

• Points allowed per game: 73.3

• Defensive efficiency (KenPom): 107.6 (139th)

• Tempo: 137th

• Key: The only former NIT champion in the semifinals (Tulsa won the NIT in 1981 and 2001), the Golden Hurricane are 1-2 all-time against the Lobos with all three games coming as WAC foes in 1997 and 1998. Tulsa does best what UNM's defense tends to dare teams to do anyway — shoot 3-pointers. Tulsa's 38.9% 3-point shooting percentage in DI games is fifth best in the country and the Golden Hurricane ranks 37th nationally in 3-point shooting rate (3FGA/FGA) — shooting 46.6% 3-pointers to 53.4% 2-pointers.

Road to Indianapolis

• Round 1: beat Stephen F. Austin, 89-84 (OT)

• Round 2: beat UNLV, 77-66

• Quarterfinals: beat Wichita State, 83-79

• Semifinals: vs. New Mexico

• NIT history: 15-9 (Third NIT semifinal appearance along with 1981 and 2001 when they were also NIT champions)

Auburn Tigers

• Record: 20-16

• Conference: Southeastern (7-11, tied 11th)

• Coach: Steven Pearl (21-16, first season at Auburn and overall, including getting credit for a 2021 win as an acting head coach when filling in for his father, Bruce Pearl, who was suspended by the NCAA)

Computer ratings

• NCAA's NET: 38 (last update, March 16)

• KenPom: 40

• BartTorvic: 43

• Haslametrics: 40

Individual leaders

• Scoring: F Keyshawn Hall (sr.) — 19.4

• Rebounds: F Keyshawn Hall (sr.) — 6.9

• Assists: G Tahaad Pettiford (so.) — 3.7

• Steals: G/F Elyjah Freeman (so.) — 1.2

Team stats

• Points per game: 82.6

• Offensive efficiency (KenPom): 125.0 (12th)

• Points allowed per game: 78.9

• Defensive efficiency (KenPom): 106.6 (116th)

• Tempo: 181st

• Key: Auburn puts a lot of pressure on defenses and has a free throw rate of 43.9% (FTA/FGA), which ranks 12th in the country. The Tigers score 23.7% of their points at the free throw line. Defensively, they don't defend the 3-point line well or shooting in general (The Tigers allow a 53.8% effective FG percentage, which ranks just 293rd nationally).

Road to Indianapolis

• Round 1: beat South Alabama, 78-67

• Round 2: beat Seattle, 91-85

• Quarterfinals: beat Nevada, 75-69

• Semifinals: vs. Illinois State

• NIT history: 7-6 (first NIT semifinal appearance)

Illinois State Redbirds

• Record: 23-12

• Conference: Missouri Valley (12-8, tied 3rd)

• Coach: Ryan Pedon (71-64, fourth season at ISU and overall)

Computer ratings

• NCAA's NET: 95 (last update, March 16)

• KenPom: 94

• BartTorvic: 93

• Haslametrics: 90

Individual leaders

• Scoring: F Chase Walker (jr.) — 13.7

• Rebounds: F Chase Walker (jr.) — 5.4

• Assists: G Johnny Kiniger (jr.) — 3.3

• Steals: G Johnny Kiniger (jr.) — 1.3

Team stats

• Points per game: 74.9

• Offensive efficiency (KenPom): 110.6 (147th)

• Points allowed per game: 57.9

• Defensive efficiency (KenPom): 102.5 (61st)

• Tempo: 222nd

• Key: Winners of last year's CBI, the six-game postseason win streak for the Redbirds is the longest in the nation. And they are the only one of the four NIT semifinalists who have actually played away from their home gym in this tournament, beating their region's No. 1 (Wake Forest) and No. 2 (Dayton) seeds in road games. The Redbirds are the best defensive-rebounding team, statistically, left in the NIT. Opponents’ shot/scoring profile is simple: If you score on ISU, it'll be 2-pointers, not 3s or free throws.

Road to Indianapolis

• Round 1: beat Kent State, 79-58

• Round 2: beat Wake Forest, 78-75 (on road)

• Quarterfinals: beat Dayton, 61-55 (on road)

• Semifinals: vs. Auburn

• NIT history: 14-14 (first NIT semifinal appearance)

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.