The safety net is being pulled away from Wichita State.
A shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament in previous seasons, the Shockers aren't assured an at-large bid this March if things go awry at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in St. Louis.
So expect action at the Scottrade Center to be a little extra tense, starting Thursday.
As Paul Suellentrop of the Wichita Eagle detailed, coach Gregg Marshall wrote three letters on his board following a February loss: N-I-T.
At least four other Valley contenders — Evansville (23-8), Illinois State (18-13), Southern Illinois (22-9) and Northern Iowa (19-12) — would accept a spot in the National Invitation Tournament without much complaint.