Six Ways To Save Marquette's Season

[oldwarrior81]

In 1970 Al was pissed because #4 Jacksonville and #9 Notre Dame received the two at-large bids in the MidEast.  Marquette was to have been put in the Fort Worth region rather than the Dayton region which went to ND. 
Al was certain Adolph Rupp was behind moving Marquette out of the Mideast region where Kentucky was.


With only one team allowed in the NCAA's from each conference, the NIT often had ranked teams.   I think it was 1972 that there were 5 top-20 teams in the 16 team NIT field.

In 1970 South Carolina went 14-0 in the ACC but lost the conf final to NC State in one of the slow down battles that had become the norm for ACC tourney games.  NC State had earlier defeated Duke 12-10.  That ultimately led to Frank McGuire moving the Gamecocks out of the ACC and becoming an independent in 1972.

Even though South Carolina was still ranked 6th after the defeat they were prohibited by the NCAA from accepting a bid from the NIT because they were playing host to a first round 1970 NCAA game.  Times certainly have changed.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

A pissed-off Al famously rejected the NCAA tournament for the NIT in 1970 because the NCAA wouldn't put him in the region he preferred. (That will never, ever, ever happen again.)

I am pretty sure this is true because the NCAA instituted a rule where you cannot reject the invitation and go play in another tournament.

[MU82]

I am pretty sure this is true because the NCAA instituted a rule where you cannot reject the invitation and go play in another tournament.

I am also pretty sure this would be true even if there were no such rule because in addition to the prestige of the NCAA tournament, that event pays participating schools SIGNIFICANTLY more money.

[bilsu]

Al also said after that fact that going to the NIT was a mistake. Not sure I'd say they "laid waste" to the field, they nearly got knocked off in the first round by Dr. J and UMass. Game was tied with 2:00 to play before Marquette pulled away. Would have been a very different memory if Al had turned down the NCAA only to lose in their first NIT game.

Al also said he turned to Hank during the game and said why did you not tell me about Dr. J. or something to that extent. Back then there was not a lot of scouting of teams.