How big is that gap? Am I in a rush? Even though we might not always consciously acknowledge these questions, they represent a set of criteria that informs the judgment of when to turn.

Another new NIT selection process announced in October by the NCAA will distribute 16 bids to "exempt" teams meeting certain criteria related to conference affiliation and advanced metrics.

POOL GENIUS: Limited free access to bracket picks tool Only eight teams fit the bill according to this strict criteria with a few falling just short, most notably Alabama, Texas Tech, Arizona ...