Could we be Shaka's forever home?

[Herman Cain]

I'm sorry you're right it was better than it is now but this myth that it was basically on par with the NCAA tournament needs to be popped.

Your 1970 NIT field ranking at selection:

Army: NR 22-6
Cincinnati: 19 21-6
Duke: NR 17-9
Duquesne: NR 17-7
Georgetown: NR 18-7
Georgia Tech: NR 17-10
LSU: NR 22-10
Louisville: NR 18-9
Manhattan: NR 18-8
Marquette: 9 26-3
Massachusetts: NR 18-7
Miami (OH): NR 15-9
North Carolina: NR 18-9
Oklahoma: NR 19-9
St. John's: NR 21-8
Utah: NR 18-10


For the level of team we were that everyone gushes over the only team in that field who deserved to be on the court with us was Cincinnati.

One minor note, back in those days. The Rankings only went to top 20.

[Galway Eagle]

One minor note, back in those days. The Rankings only went to top 20.

So again it's akin to a 3 seed beating up on a bunch of, at best, 5 seed cincy and the rest being 6 or 7 seed teams. How is that something to bang your chest over?

[VanderBlueFanClub]

Or the NBA.

Yeah, but I also don't really think that Shaka would want to jump to the NBA. I just get this feeling from him that he likes the culture and environments of college. You can see that he really likes being a mentor to these kids as well, which I don't think coaching in the NBA provides the opportunity.

[The Equalizer]

The crazy thing, the NIT had arguably the better players that year. That said, Al's stance helped break up a lot of NCAA and social barriers in years to come with his stance.

After 1970, the NCAA told it's member schools that going forward, they aren't allowed to turn down an NCAA tournament bid. 

I'm not sure that's what Al was going for.

[Dr. Blackheart]

After 1970, the NCAA told it's member schools that going forward, they aren't allowed to turn down an NCAA tournament bid. 

I'm not sure that's what Al was going for.

He was going for fair seeding.

[swoopem]

Am I following this right, we were placed in Oklahoma? Is a flight from Milwaukee to Oklahoma really that much further than a flight to NYC? If the complaint was distance than I don’t buy it. I’ve also always heard Al just wanted to back home for the NIT

[dgies9156]

Am I following this right, we were placed in Oklahoma? Is a flight from Milwaukee to Oklahoma really that much further than a flight to NYC? If the complaint was distance than I don’t buy it. I’ve also always heard Al just wanted to back home for the NIT

Brother Swoopem:

Going back to New York certainly was on Al's mind. When the schedule was written back in those days, we always played someone like Manhattan, St. John's or Fordham so Al could go home. The NIT was frosting on the cake.

It was not a matter of Oklahoma vs. New York. It was Oklahoma versus Dayton at the ubiquitous UD Arena, the latter of which was probably 4.5 hours away and a potential day trip. The bigger issue for Al was standing up to Adolph the Bigot and the NCAA, both of which kinda hated him at the time.

For what it is worth, there are two memorable things about the 1970 NCAA tournament, neither of which involved Adolph the Bigot. The first was UCLA won it all. The second was Al stood the NCAA up.

[PointWarrior]

Nice to be watching the Nevada vs Fresno State game, they roll the Villanova vs GT promo and the announcers turn it into a promo for Shaka Smart and his Golden Eagles and how they are in if the tourney started tomorrow and how they did not see this coming.