BYU basketball connections to the NIT

Among the Cougars' most successful postseason runs are their NIT championships in 1951 and 1966.

During the 1951 road to a title, BYU overcame St. Louis, Seton Hall and Dayton to claim the national crown, winning by an average of 15.3 points. Recently, the BYU athletic department honored Roland Minson and Mel Hutchins, retiring their jerseys.

Minson's point totals of 28 (vs. St. Louis), 26 (Seton Hall) and 26 (Dayton) stand as three of the top four single-game scoring performances in BYU NIT history. He was named the NIT MVP that season.

The Cougars' 1966 run was also impressive as BYU topped Temple, Army and NYU to take the title. BYU won all three contests by an average of 14 points and scored in the 90s in every game.

Dick Nemelka's 27 points in the opener against Temple stand as the second-best single-game performance in the NIT for a Cougar. Craig Raymond (18 vs. NYU) and Steve Kramer (16 vs. NYU, 14 vs. Army) hold the program's top three single-game rebounding performances in the postseason tournament.