The 1970 National Invitation Tournament was unique in that coach Al McGuire of Marquette University, unhappy with his team's placement, turned down a bid to the NCAA tournament and elected to play in the NIT instead.[1] His Marquette Warriors went on to claim the championship.
This tournament represented the final college games for LSU great Pete Maravich, the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. Maravich finished his three-year career with 3,667 points, 44.2 per game, records which stand through the 2017-18 season, despite the reinstitution of freshman eligibility and the introduction of the shot clock and 3-point shot. It was LSU's only postseason appearance between 1954 and 1979.
Bracket
| First Round
| | | Quarterfinals
| | | Semifinals
| | | Finals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |
| Manhattan
| 95
| |
|
| North Carolina
| 90
| |
| | Manhattan
| 72
| |
|
|
| | Army
| 77
| |
| Army
| 72
| |
| |
| Cincinnati
| 67
| |
| | Army
| 59
| |
|
|
| | St. John's
| 60
| |
| Georgia Tech
| '78
| | |
| |
| Duquesne
| 68
| |
| | Georgia Tech
| 55
| |
|
|
| | St. John's
| 56
| |
| St. John's
| 70
| |
| |
| Miami (OH)
| 57
| |
| | St. John's
| 53
| |
|
|
| | Marquette
| 65
| |
| Marquette
| 62
| | | |
| |
| Massachusetts
| 55
| |
| | Marquette
| 83
| |
|
|
| | Utah
| 63
| |
| Utah
| 78
| |
| |
| Duke
| 75
| |
| | Marquette
| 101
| |
|
|
| | LSU
| 79
| |
| Oklahoma
| 74
| | |
| |
| Louisville
| 73
| |
| | Oklahoma
| 94
| |
|
|
| | LSU
| 97
| |
| LSU
| 83
| |
| |
| Georgetown
| 82
| |
|
|
| Third place game
| |
| | | | |
|
| Army
| 75
| |
|
| LSU
| 68
| |
|
|