As many on this site already know, the NIT awards automatic births to schools that take clinch their conference's regular season title but fail to win their conference tournament and, in the process, do not receive an at large bid for the big dance.
These teams determine how soft the NIT bubble is each season. Over the last 4 years there have been a wide range of scenarios.
Let's start with the raw numbers for NU hoops - 2014-15 edition.
RPI: 110 SOS: 49 W/L: 15-15 Last 10: 5-5 Top 50 Wins (Top 25): *1 (0)
*Iowa (36) is NU's only top 50 RPI victory. Indiana is currently 52.
Here are the final 6 at large teams from 2011-14 (I choose 6 to help eliminate any seeding - "games of regional interest" - bias). All the statistics are taken from Jerry Palm's college RPI site.
2011 NIT
Automatic Bids: 14
At Large Worthy Autos: 2 (St. Mary's, Missouri State)
Bid Thieves: 12 (*UW Milwaukee moved up to create a "game of regional interest)
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
California (4) 73 - 21 17-14 (5-5) 2 (0)
Wichita State (4) 59*- 104 23-8 (6-4) 0 (0)
UTEP (5) 59*- 98 24-9 (6-4) 1 (0)
Mississippi (5) 83 - 74 20-13 (5-5) 2 (1)
Nebraska (5) 87 - 61 19-12 (4-6) 3 (1)
Harvard (6) 35 - 140 21-6 (8-2) 1 (0)
2012 NIT
Automatic Bids: 11
At Large Worthy Autos: 6 (Washington, Drexel, Oral Roberts, MTSU, Akron, Nevada)
Bid Thieves: 5
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
LSU (6) 81 - 49 18-14 (5-5) 2 (1)
Minnesota (6) 89 - 42 19-14 (3-7) 2 (1)
Cleveland State (6) 86 - 140 21-10 (4-6) 1 (1)
Iowa (7) 128 - 70 17-16 (5-5) 4 (4)
Northern Iowa (7) 74 - 55 18-13 (5-5) 3 (1)
Illinois State (7) 104 - 112 20-13 (6-4) 1 (1)
2013 NIT
Automatic Bids: 10
At Large Worthy Autos: 2 (Stephen F. Austin, Louisiana Tech)
Bid Thieves: 8
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
Charlotte (5) 70 - 104 21-11 (4-6) 2 (1)St. John's (5) 92 - 30 16-15 (2-8) 3 (0)
Detroit (6) 65 - 94 18-12 (6-4) 1 (0)
Washington (6) 89 - 38 18-15 (5-5) 2 (1)
Ohio (6) 67 - 146 24-9 (7-3) 0 (0)
Indiana State (6) 75 - 56 17-14 (4-6) 4 (2)
2014 NIT
Automatic Bids: 13
At Large Worthy Autos: 3 (Louisiana Tech, Green Bay, Belmont)
Bid Thieves: 10
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
Georgetown (4) 64 -11 17-14 (5-5) 5 (3) West Virgina (5) 87- 42 17-15 (4-6) 4 (2)
Utah (5) 79 - 88 19-11 (6-4) 4 (1)
LSU (5) 80 - 75 19-13 (4-6) 3 (1)
Indiana State (6) 71 - 129 21-10 (6-4) 0 (0)
Toledo (6) 38 - 147 26-6 (7-3) 0 (0)
Some quick thoughts:
1) Only three teams have made the NIT with an RPI above 90. Iowa got in with a record of 17-16 and an RPI of 128 (!) courtesy of a super soft bubble (only 5 auto bids) and their 4 top 25 wins. St John's (92) had 3 top 50 victories and a SOS of 30.
2) Minny losing tonight stings. The 'Cats need more opportunities to get their RPI below 100, ASAP.
3) NU needs Indiana to finish strong.
4) Saturday's game is a MUST win.
If the 'Cats knock off Iowa, I'll put together a thorough list of 2015 NIT contenders complete with the same numbers I used in this post. As of the 4th, the bracket project has NU in the discussion, but on the outside looking in.
This post was edited on 3/6 3:18 PM by ColumbusCatFan1
2015 NIT Bracket Project
These teams determine how soft the NIT bubble is each season. Over the last 4 years there have been a wide range of scenarios.
Let's start with the raw numbers for NU hoops - 2014-15 edition.
RPI: 110 SOS: 49 W/L: 15-15 Last 10: 5-5 Top 50 Wins (Top 25): *1 (0)
*Iowa (36) is NU's only top 50 RPI victory. Indiana is currently 52.
Here are the final 6 at large teams from 2011-14 (I choose 6 to help eliminate any seeding - "games of regional interest" - bias). All the statistics are taken from Jerry Palm's college RPI site.
2011 NIT
Automatic Bids: 14
At Large Worthy Autos: 2 (St. Mary's, Missouri State)
Bid Thieves: 12 (*UW Milwaukee moved up to create a "game of regional interest)
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
California (4) 73 - 21 17-14 (5-5) 2 (0)
Wichita State (4) 59*- 104 23-8 (6-4) 0 (0)
UTEP (5) 59*- 98 24-9 (6-4) 1 (0)
Mississippi (5) 83 - 74 20-13 (5-5) 2 (1)
Nebraska (5) 87 - 61 19-12 (4-6) 3 (1)
Harvard (6) 35 - 140 21-6 (8-2) 1 (0)
2012 NIT
Automatic Bids: 11
At Large Worthy Autos: 6 (Washington, Drexel, Oral Roberts, MTSU, Akron, Nevada)
Bid Thieves: 5
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
LSU (6) 81 - 49 18-14 (5-5) 2 (1)
Minnesota (6) 89 - 42 19-14 (3-7) 2 (1)
Cleveland State (6) 86 - 140 21-10 (4-6) 1 (1)
Iowa (7) 128 - 70 17-16 (5-5) 4 (4)
Northern Iowa (7) 74 - 55 18-13 (5-5) 3 (1)
Illinois State (7) 104 - 112 20-13 (6-4) 1 (1)
2013 NIT
Automatic Bids: 10
At Large Worthy Autos: 2 (Stephen F. Austin, Louisiana Tech)
Bid Thieves: 8
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
Charlotte (5) 70 - 104 21-11 (4-6) 2 (1)St. John's (5) 92 - 30 16-15 (2-8) 3 (0)
Detroit (6) 65 - 94 18-12 (6-4) 1 (0)
Washington (6) 89 - 38 18-15 (5-5) 2 (1)
Ohio (6) 67 - 146 24-9 (7-3) 0 (0)
Indiana State (6) 75 - 56 17-14 (4-6) 4 (2)
2014 NIT
Automatic Bids: 13
At Large Worthy Autos: 3 (Louisiana Tech, Green Bay, Belmont)
Bid Thieves: 10
School (seed) RPI-SOS W/L (Last 10) Top 50 wins (Top 25)
Georgetown (4) 64 -11 17-14 (5-5) 5 (3) West Virgina (5) 87- 42 17-15 (4-6) 4 (2)
Utah (5) 79 - 88 19-11 (6-4) 4 (1)
LSU (5) 80 - 75 19-13 (4-6) 3 (1)
Indiana State (6) 71 - 129 21-10 (6-4) 0 (0)
Toledo (6) 38 - 147 26-6 (7-3) 0 (0)
Some quick thoughts:
1) Only three teams have made the NIT with an RPI above 90. Iowa got in with a record of 17-16 and an RPI of 128 (!) courtesy of a super soft bubble (only 5 auto bids) and their 4 top 25 wins. St John's (92) had 3 top 50 victories and a SOS of 30.
2) Minny losing tonight stings. The 'Cats need more opportunities to get their RPI below 100, ASAP.
3) NU needs Indiana to finish strong.
4) Saturday's game is a MUST win.
If the 'Cats knock off Iowa, I'll put together a thorough list of 2015 NIT contenders complete with the same numbers I used in this post. As of the 4th, the bracket project has NU in the discussion, but on the outside looking in.
This post was edited on 3/6 3:18 PM by ColumbusCatFan1
2015 NIT Bracket Project
