For those who thought we might have an NIT shot finishing .500, no way! Maybe in the olden days, but those regular season champions of littler leagues falling in their tournaments took lots of spots this year and therefore, ONLY Illinois made it. I was surprised Minne didn't get in since they won the thing last year and at 18-15, they qualified, but that's how much tougher it has gotten to make that field. Michigan, who walloped Illini and gave Wisky a great battle in the tourney, finished .500, but didn't make it. Penn State also had a good BTT tourney and an overall plus-500 record but that wasn't good enough either. So take notice for future reference.
Big Ten in NIT
- Thread starter Catreporter
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So mediocre seasons aren't being rewarded. Certainly not a problem as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping we won't be worried about a sub-,500 season next year.
Only in the NCAA are they being rewarded. Such a joke that UCLA and Texas are in.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Posted from Rivals Mobile
UCLA is in the NCAA despite an embarrassing 40-point loss to Kentucky on a neutral floor and a 1-6 record vs. ranked teams. But they did one thing that saved their behind. They lost only ONE home game all year (to Gonzaga). In other words, they swept their conf. home games. This Cats team is going to have start next year protecting our home court like we did at the very end of this season. Then, we might have a tournament foundation.
I agree. That's why I'm not disappointed that .500 teams are being left out of the NIT. It's also a joke that some team with a 12-20 record or something like that could win a conference tourney and make the NCAA, but so be it. I hate that Northwestern has never made the tournament, but that's something of a joke as there are several teams in the tourney each year that we'd probably beat by 15-20 points. As far as UCLA and Texas, hell, Illinois probably had as good a season as them. From our league, Indiana was a questionable choice although they played fairly well in the tourney.
There was some former ACC dude (forget who it was) on the selection show yesterday who was all exercised because he thought Wisconsin might get a 1 seed instead of Duke (of course they both got one). LIke Duke EVER gets screwed in the seeding process. And I know the ACC is probably stronger at the top this year, but which league was it that won the ACC-B1G challenge this year?
There was some former ACC dude (forget who it was) on the selection show yesterday who was all exercised because he thought Wisconsin might get a 1 seed instead of Duke (of course they both got one). LIke Duke EVER gets screwed in the seeding process. And I know the ACC is probably stronger at the top this year, but which league was it that won the ACC-B1G challenge this year?
No, I mean teams such as the Albany Great Danes, Lafayette etc. Mt. St. Mary's, close to where I live, has been in the tourney a few times. And since you mention North Florida, we did beat them and they are in the tourney and we're not. Depends on whether you're playing in a high-rent league or not.
You're comment was that there were teams in the tournament NU would beat "by 15-20". I offered one example of the lowest possible seeded team, which NU barely hung on the beat by 2. My point is there are few teams good enough to make it to the Tournament that NU would beat by 15-20.
I said several teams. I don't think that implies we'd be routing a ton of teams. I'm pretty sure that we could hand Albany, U.C.-Irvine, Coastal Carolina, Lafayette, Robert Morris and Hampton a pounding on a good night. That is several teams that NU is capable of beating by 15-20 on a given night.
We were playing far better toward the latter part of the season than we were when we played North Florida, taking down Indiana and Iowa teams that are probably a good deal better than any of the teams I just named. Yes, we did edge a North Florida team that beat Purdue. Due to inexperience, this was probably our weakest team in several years.
We were playing far better toward the latter part of the season than we were when we played North Florida, taking down Indiana and Iowa teams that are probably a good deal better than any of the teams I just named. Yes, we did edge a North Florida team that beat Purdue. Due to inexperience, this was probably our weakest team in several years.