Can We Turn the NIT Down?

[RushmoreAcademy]

Yet, here you are.

This comment made my day better. Well done.

[Eldon]

We should not be playing for NIT bids at MU..better be the LAST NIT berth for a VERY long time

True that.  But turning it down?  Sheesh.

At the very least Wojo can use the game to experiment, e.g., different roster combinations, defensive schemes, etc.

[T.V. Diener 34]

I'm all up for accepting a bid too... just kind of depressing to think that at this point we are in the company of DePaul, St John's, and Georgetown of teams left out of the tourney in the Big East while everyone else is dancing

[dgies9156]

Don't believe this is accurate. 32 teams in the Tourney. No extra games needed or allowed. We lost  to ND and Austin Carr in South Bend. Therefore, the Irish got the Mideast berth and we were sent to the Midwest, which I believe was held that year in Texas. Al got pissed and said he'd take the team to the NIT and win it.

My timing may have been off when the NCAA went to 32 (not sure when exactly, but I thought it was around 1974 or so). But the message was the same -- there were not second place teams in the NCAA in 1970.

[brewcity77]

This is hilarious, because I literally saw John Calipari in an ESPN interview yesterday saying his team was all freshman - the youngest team in the country.

He just said the same on ESPN. Talked about how it impacted them needing to learn on the fly, how it made defense difficult, and how they were the youngest team ever to go to the NCAA Tournament. All I could think was "he sounds like Wojo."

[mu_hilltopper]

Hell, it's not just the team (minus Rowsey) who needs the experience. 

Wojo needs more games too.

[CTWarrior]

My timing may have been off when the NCAA went to 32 (not sure when exactly, but I thought it was around 1974 or so). But the message was the same -- there were not second place teams in the NCAA in 1970.

There were 25 teams in the NCAA tournament in 1970.  Expanded to 32 in 1975.

[lurch91]

Kentucky was the youngest team in the country this year...did they ever play the "we're young card"?? A #5 seed in the dance. Soooo Wojo always used the "we're young" narrative..well, as kentucky showed, and other schools have shown through the years, that is NOT an excuse.

Kentucky has a well established system and can recruit any player nationwide who they think fits their system.

Wojo is still building his system.  Still trying to prove to basketball players, and apparently fans, that he can make it work.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah, we got a coach wit trainin' pants on, hey?

[Farley36]

We lost in a crap game to Virginia Tech?

I was a junior at Marquette that year and we had a great time rooting the team on through the NIT.  I'm not saying it should be our goal to be in the NIT but it's dumb to turn it down and you're not a fan if you don't root Marquette on through the NIT.

[CTWarrior]

We're all disappointed with the NIT, but I certainly didn't think we were going to do better than that this year after barely getting in last year and losing Johnson, Reinhardt, Fischer, and Wilson (and that was before I knew we'd lose Cheatham, though I think losing the other guys hurt way, way more.)

I still think a tournament is fun for me as a fan, even if it is the NIT.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to end ND's season, and a long NIT run could be a springboard for next season.  No downside to playing. 

[AlienWarrior]

looks like Harvard. We need to play smart

[Loose Cannon]

Smacks of a little arrogance, entitlement of stature. The Only reasons I see to to Decline if the current Coach is Fired (GA) or players not all in. (Kentucky vs Robert Morris 2013)

[Newsdreams]

Wrong.

Because it is a tournament that does little for us. It's the Participation Trophy of College Basketball. It's not stupid to walk away from something that rewards mediocrity.

Why reward mediocrity?

As for me, Gang, after the DePaul game, I moved on. It was time for next year. As you who read knew, when everyone said we needed a win against Villanova, I said, no way. It's baseball time.

P.S. -- Good luck to Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, Butler, Seton Hall and Providence in the tournament.

https://youtu.be/fWweqP_ZWbg

[jsglow]

Wrong.

Because it is a tournament that does little for us. It's the Participation Trophy of College Basketball. It's not stupid to walk away from something that rewards mediocrity.

Why reward mediocrity?

As for me, Gang, after the DePaul game, I moved on. It was time for next year. As you who read knew, when everyone said we needed a win against Villanova, I said, no way. It's baseball time.

P.S. -- Good luck to Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, Butler, Seton Hall and Providence in the tournament.

Oh really?  Funny that you found time to comment here.

[tower912]

Two teams playing as much youth as Marquette who made the dance.  Kentucky and Duke.  Full of one and dones.  You say yes to the NIT, use it to get as many practices as possible and as much experience for the kids in win or go home situations.  Teaching and building for next year at this point. 

[Disco Hippie]

Because some people think we are waiting in long gas lines, Ford is our President and Disco is hot.

Disco is still hot, but that's not a good enough reason to turn down the opportunity to extend the season and get more experience for the players and coaching staff.  Game on!

[bilsu]

Would be nice if we could, especially since we were not one of the first four out.

We're not in the big dance because we lost to our conference's version of a mid-major, DePaul, and because we were blown out by Villanova last week.

The NIT is a college basketball equivalent of a Participation Trophy. Warriors gnarl at Participation Trophies.

I see no value in the NIT. The money is so limited, we're talking about playing at the Al, where we've played exactly one other game that counted.  There isn't money in it.

As for experience, unless we're starting Elliott and Theo John, not sure what it gives us. A couple more games, until we get eliminated by some mid-major because we're playing hero ball?

Turn it down if you can. We'll get more out of a pre-season tournament next year than out of the NIT. Our guys should not settle for the NIT. Period.

I see great value in NIT. I believe having our freshmen getting tournament experience is very helpful, if we get an NCAA bid next year. I believe we would of been more prepared last year for our NCAA tournament game, if we had played in NIT the year before.

While I believe we should always play in NCAA tournament, I would never turn down an NIT bid when that is all we earned. North Carolina played in NIT a few years ago. Louisville and Notre Dame are playing in it this year. I suspect a blue blood would never turn down an NIT bid.

In my book fans that do not want to see their team continue to play are cry babies. 

[GB Warrior]

we should prove to Harvard how dumb this tournament is by refusing to take the court

[Floorslapper]

This thread was highly entertaining.  Well done to all parties involved.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I was a junior at Marquette that year and we had a great time rooting the team on through the NIT.  I'm not saying it should be our goal to be in the NIT but it's dumb to turn it down and you're not a fan if you don't root Marquette on through the NIT.

That was longgggg train home to Connecticut that evening.  Especially with VT alums in my train.
Curse you Ace Custis!