NIT

[fordham96]

Mug Costanza post=464109
I don't think the Tulsa rumors played a role. Aside from SJU's resume just not being good enough for the NIT, I think it's quite likely that this Tulsa thing has been in play for a couple weeks now if it truly does have legs. It's been pretty clear for a few months that Haith was likely going to be let go there and Anderson had to know that. Wouldn't be surprised if some backchanneling was done on both Anderson's and Tulsa's ends weeks ago to gauge this other's interest. I don't think this just popped up out of nowhere this weekend, that's just when it became publicly speculated about.

I think the timing is a bit suspicious still.  Yes the Mike Anderson/Tulsa rumor has been floating for months but you could not predict SJU would be in NIT for months.
 

 

[L J S A]

 Lessons learned are schedule better . . . 

We should not be playing cupcakes who are located further south than Maryland, and even then, there are enough in New York and New Jersey to not have to leave the area.

If we are going to play the weakest of the weak, go to their place. I assume road victories do something for whatever formula the committee uses.

 

[austour]

Anyone think that perhaps St. John's not accepting a bid last year had anything to do with it? Clearly Cragg and company were expecting an invite and offered the St John's arena.

 

I will just say that I like your conspiracy theory more than Fordham's as far as having legs, short poorly defined legs (somewhat like my own) but legs just the same.

 

[austour]

11 Automatic bids, not 12 as I previously stated.

Atlantic Sun: Jacksonville State - Because Bellarmine was ineligible to play in dance jacksonville state got NCAA bid
Big West: Long Beach State
CAA: Towson
Conference USA: North Texas - Only automatic bid to be seeded so they were in regardless
Ivy: Princeton
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Sun Belt: Texas State
Horizon League: Cleveland State
MAAC: Iona
MAC: Toledo
Southland: Nicholls
SWAC: Alcorn State


 

the NIT does itself a disservice by giving automatic bids to the conference champions of these awful conferences.  Some might deserve it, but not all these conferences.  It left out some deserving teams who would/could put on a good game.

 

I couldn't disagree more.  I'd rather see/reward a team that excelled against their competition than some bottom half sub .500 conference record mediocre to poor major conference team in the NIT.  The only rational people that would disagree are the fans of those mediocre to poor major conference teams, like ourselves with the Redmen.  I mean does anyone really need or want to see any of the teams in the NIT again to complete their college hoops season.  Those teams you want to disqualify are champions well above mediocrity in their comp set and deserve one more chance to excel, even against poor odds.

 

[mm52]

11 Automatic bids, not 12 as I previously stated.

Atlantic Sun: Jacksonville State - Because Bellarmine was ineligible to play in dance jacksonville state got NCAA bid
Big West: Long Beach State
CAA: Towson
Conference USA: North Texas - Only automatic bid to be seeded so they were in regardless
Ivy: Princeton
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Sun Belt: Texas State
Horizon League: Cleveland State
MAAC: Iona
MAC: Toledo
Southland: Nicholls
SWAC: Alcorn State



 

the NIT does itself a disservice by giving automatic bids to the conference champions of these awful conferences.  Some might deserve it, but not all these conferences.  It left out some deserving teams who would/could put on a good game.


 

I couldn't disagree more.  I'd rather see/reward a team that excelled against their competition than some bottom half sub .500 conference record mediocre to poor major conference team in the NIT.  The only rational people that would disagree are the fans of those mediocre to poor major conference teams, like ourselves with the Redmen.  I mean does anyone really need or want to see any of the teams in the NIT again to complete their college hoops season.  Those teams you want to disqualify are champions well above mediocrity in their comp set and deserve one more chance to excel, even against poor odds.
 

Fair and debatable points for sure.  I was thinking that not all of the conferences with automatic bids are equal and should ALL be given bids.  But I do think around .500 teams in P5/6 conferences--what you call mediocre--usually fare better against even the top teams in those weaker conferences and may deserve bids over them.

 

[austour]

 

I couldn't disagree more.  I'd rather see/reward a team that excelled against their competition than some bottom half sub .500 conference record mediocre to poor major conference team in the NIT.  The only rational people that would disagree are the fans of those mediocre to poor major conference teams, like ourselves with the Redmen.  I mean does anyone really need or want to see any of the teams in the NIT again to complete their college hoops season.  Those teams you want to disqualify are champions well above mediocrity in their comp set and deserve one more chance to excel, even against poor odds.


 

Fair and debatable points for sure.  I was thinking that not all of the conferences with automatic bids are equal and should ALL be given bids.  But I do think around .500 teams in P5/6 conferences--what you call mediocre--usually fare better against even the top teams in those weaker conferences and may deserve bids over them.

 

Sure, I wasn't thinking about competition so much as what teams seasons deserve to be over or not.  Georgetown would probably beat a lot of those teams.  Does anyone want or need to see that? 

 

[BrookJersey Redmen]

When the NCAA field was smaller and when the NIT was independent the whole scene was different. With the NCAA owning the NIT and giving regular season champs automatic bids if they don't win the conference tournaments  you have a much different NIT than you used to have.

Local flavor doesn't hold any weight with the NCAA. It really shouldn't anyway.

In the sense that one could argue that when you have "auto" bids you do not end up with all the best teams and it applies to both tournaments. Obviously many 1 bid conferences should be zero bid conferences, but that is not the design. We don't pick the top 68 schools by their AP ranking. If we did that then year after year it could pretty much be the same 55 teams.

Part of the fun of this Big Dance are the UMBC upsets of Virginia, and others like #2 losing to a #15. Plus, watching a school you never knew even existed is fun. Yes you, Longwood.

Let's hope for a better showing next season, trust in Fr. Shanley.

 

 

[Ilzion]

You know what they say "payback is a bitch". We turned them down last year and this year they got their revenge

 

[NCJohnnie]

Interesting read from someone who thinks both SJU and South Carolina should have been in the NIT. Adam, I'll be curious to get your read on his argument. 

NIT Bracketology: Final Thoughts on the NIT Selection Process