Going to the NIT in 1993 or whatever is one thing, but in 2024 when UNLV hasn't sniffed the postseason in almost 11 years, people should be at least a little happy we made a step or two.
I believe the people who are bummed about the NIT are the ones who are convinced CKK will never be more than a mediocre coach. The NIT just extends the inevitable for one more year.
I don't anyone thinks this should be the standard. Is the school trying to celebrate it? Sure, but it is their job to try to build hype for the program and keep up interest.
Didn't mean to come across as a Debbie Downer, was just trying to illustrate that there was more than one reason that people might be disappointed in the NIT.
I'm with you. It does hammer home the fact that those head scratching losses hurt the cause. It would be a little different if we "overachieve" to make the NIT, instead of disappointed to get the consolidation prize. We have had years in recent memory, say even last season, where it felt that we didn't have anything close to a tournament team, where the NIT would have felt like more of an achievement. This year our ability to compete against top teams definitely felt like we let the real tourney slip away.
Exactly!
That was the first monumentally tiny crowd I’ve ever seen at the Mack. Vs USC. And Burt Harris, a tiny bowling ball freshman PG, killed us. Either that or he didn’t kill us and I was just amazed that somebody so tiny and bulky could play …
Why did we actually qualify? So it’s less of “earned an NIT bid” and more of “we need somebody to fill spots, will you take one?”
Yes and no, the NIT needed to meet its p6 requirements to fill the tournament so they had to run down the list of teams in the p6 until someone said yes. If we were in a p6 conference, I’d agree with your point but the NIT really boxed itself in with the new selection criteria.
Well that’s out, but Chestnut Hill is only an hour from Providence so if the Rebs can pull it off you can see them play at BC.
Yeah I didn’t even realize they were playing BC that works well too Chestnut Hill is about 45 minutes from my house. UNLV just needs to take care of business.
I agree, I am surprised they beat Providence. They aren't very good.
We deserved to be in over a few of the teams on that list.
As referenced above. Only St. Bonny and Memphis on this list was an at large bid. All of the other were autobids that were turned down. The p5 and the Big East all get 2 autobids and home court advantage. The first 4 out also get home court advantage. The last 4 teams in are playing the 1 seeds. We are part of the last 8 in though.
No one is celebrating the NIT as if we have made it. It is an object proof that we have improved though.
No, they think they played the better OOC schedule plus they have a known brand and rewarded them for that plus making the conference final.
If you call out that we played the bottom four twice each, don't forget to give credit for where it is due since UNLV also played and beat the MWC champion New Mexico twice.
Which has always been a problem for MWC teams in the tournament. But its especially a problem for them as he averages almost 1/3 of their points per game and gets to the foul line at almost 9 attempts per game.
I was thinking of being frozen, and they can thaw me out when UNLV gets there just like on Futurama!
