So, the NIT ... sigh
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20 wins will do it if one of them is over MSU.
Otherwise, yes, 21 wins are probably necessary.
One loss away from the rest of the season being single-elimination...for the NIT.
I agree.
The resume is really lacking when it comes to upper tier wins and the only opportunities left to snag a few would be Michigan State, Maryland, and the Friday in Manhattan.
If the 'Cats win out the close the regular season but lose on the Thursday of the BTT, the NIT is probably in play. Winning out plus a birth in semi's could get them on the bubble.
Practically zero room for error.
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Hmmm...possible benefit of the doubt from Templeton?
I didn't think the bubble was THAT soft. Currently, NU's resume is pretty weak...not that much stronger than the 2015-16 squad that wasn't really on the NIT's radar, if I recall.
The projection doesn't include any automatic bids. In this projection, it would take 11 or 12 auto bids to knock NU out, which is not an unusual number historically, though his "bubble" projection assumes 8-10 auto bids.
I think if we beat Maryland at home, don't suffer any bad losses, and maybe pick up one more win in the BTT, we'll be solidly in the NIT. We could also just beat MSU (and not have any bad losses), which would make it a lock even without any BTT wins.
I thought that was interesting, too...particularly since the article has an Indiana team that beat us by 20+ out. That said, we might be Indiana's best win. They have a few opportunities to get some good wins, but haven't shown much of an inclination to actually get the wins. I also thought it was interesting how high Penn State was seeded and that it was striking how blah the B1G is outside of a tremendous top 3.
Still a lot of basketball to be played though and I suspect that we are still at a point where we will play our way in or play our way out.
Well, you figure all the 8 and 7 seeds will eventually be occupied by lower tier conference champs who don’t win their tourney, and sometimes that bleeds over to the 6 seeds. So practically speaking we would be right on the bubble with a lot of similarly flawed teams right behind us.
I was told they were invited but turned it down. But maybe it was one of those other tourneys
I have a really hard time believing that.
NU never was mentioned on the NIT selection show (didn't even crack the snub list) and turning down a bid from a NCAA run tournament isn't a good look for the program. Makes zero sense.
Turning down CBI bids is more common and something I can see having occurred.
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I don't know why people keep saying this. Let me be clear: There is no way that Chris Collins/NU would turn down an invitation to the NIT after years of not making any postseason tournament.
I'd like to know which team was the last team to turn down an NIT bid. I can't imagine it's very frequent at all.
LSU said they would decline one in 2016 but I don’t know if they were actually offered.
If we can beat Rutgers, and then win at least two of our last four games, we might have a chance for an NIT bid depending on conference tourney results. Last year, Indiana got in with 18-15, 7-11 Big Ten record and Iowa got in at 18-13, 10-8, with a double digit loss in the first round of the BT tourney to Indiana. When NU didn't get in with 20 wins, there were a lot of upsets in the little conference tourneys that helped keep them out.
Maybe this is me being spoiled, but I really don't care much if we make the NIT. I mean if we do then sure that's good, I'll watch and cheer for them, would be nice for the seniors to keep playing, but even if we make a run it doesn't really change that the season has been a disappointment.
That said, this group of players will always have a special place in my heart, the ride they took us on last year was something special.
So I've totally written down any postseason expectations for this year and resigned myself to that, haven't thought about the NCAA or NIT one bit the last few weeks. We crossed that bridge last year. I just want to enjoy watching these kids play what games we have left, one game at a time, each game only for what it is, a fun college bball contest, without worrying about any of the other stuff.
Thanks BMac, thanks Scottie, thanks Gavin, thanks Vic, thanks Dererk.
Go Cats
And I also don't think NU had any signature wins that season. This season we don't have many, but we did beat a top-25 Michigan team, and I think that will be enough as long as we finish .500 or better in conference.
If you don’t care whether NU makes the NIT, then you don’t care about the trajectory of the program, IMO.
Sure, it’s not the Big Dance, but it’s not a participation trophy either. Advancing in the NIT, a single elimination setting, is valuable experience for returning players like Law, Pardon, Gaines and Falzon. Winning a few extra games makes the final record look better. It’s all about sustaining some momentum into the opening of new W-R and positioning for a strong showing in the 2019 recruiting class. Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, etc. won’t have ANY postseason to point to, and possibly not a winning record either.
Call me silly for following NIT bracketology, but to me, it matters a great deal. I hope many others on the board agree (mostly because I don’t have time to do all the research on auto bids myself).
I guess I've just never watched an NIT game that NU wasn't in (aside from attending a couple at MSG when friends have teams in them). So I wouldn't think that many others do either. I mean sure it is technically postseason, but I don't think it really counts in the same way. I certainly do care about the trajectory of the program, I just don't really think it matters, just window dressing.
But hey, to each their own, more power to you, and if they make it I certainly will cheer for them, I am just not going to spend any time worrying about it, I'd rather enjoy watching the games on their own.