NIT = Not Interested...

colreb74 · Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:41 am

Let's face it, this is not the NCAA, it's the NIT..... NOT INTERESTED TOURNAMENT! I'll not even watching it. I watched or listened to every game I could up until our loss to Tennessee which guaranteed we would not make the NCAA tournament. I'll look up the score after the game to see if we won.

Say we win the NIT championship... what's that mean... you're better than the lower half of the NCAA schools? 66th place in the nation? If anything, it would be the highlight of the Andy Kennedy legacy! I don't see any more trophies in our case under his leadership.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:32 pm

done · Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:55 pm

They frustrate me, but I will always watch as long as they have that Ole Miss on their uniform...

john_avery_fast · Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:14 pm

There is no rule that says you can't be disappointed with being in the NIT, but excited for the opportunity as well. We have an opportunity to be one of 3 teams that can say they won their last game of the season. And about the 66th best team thing, trust me, those that know basketball know that the team that wins the NIT is better than at least 20 of the teams that get in to the NCAA through their auto-bids.

As for the Not Interested Tournament, I am, as I suspect the majority of our fanbase are, always interested when the Rebels suit up. Would I rather they be at a regional site tonight, of course, just as I would prefer New Orleans in January to Shreveport in December or even Dallas in January, but that doesn't mean I am disinterested.

done · Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:17 pm

john_avery_fast wrote:There is no rule that says you can't be disappointed with being in the NIT, but excited for the opportunity as well. We have an opportunity to be one of 3 teams that can say they won their last game of the season. And about the 66th best team thing, trust me, those that know basketball know that the team that wins the NIT is better than at least 20 of the teams that get in to the NCAA through their auto-bids.

As for the Not Interested Tournament, I am, as I suspect the majority of our fanbase are, always interested when the Rebels suit up. Would I rather they be at a regional site tonight, of course, just as I would prefer New Orleans in January to Shreveport in December or even Dallas in January, but that doesn't mean I am disinterested.

I agree with you and I will always root for them...but, to me at least, the NIT is of much less importance than even the Independence Bowl. This is kind of like when we played Samford in football...I was not excited or happy, but I still pulled for my Rebels...as I will today.

------------------ · Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:50 pm

ANYTIME you get the opportunity to extend your season in ANY college sport it is a good thing. Be it the NIT or the Clorox Bleach Wipes Bowl...ALWAYS a good thing.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:34 pm

Hopefully we are paying a light bill or two.

bbqit · Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:45 am

Rebchuck18 wrote:They frustrate me, but I will always watch as long as they have that Ole Miss on their uniform...

Amen

Memphis Jack · Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:33 am

I certainly watched the game and enjoyed it very much. Actually, the NIT can be a bit of a stepping stone for a program. In 1957, Memphis State lost to Bradley by one point in the NIT championship game in New York. That gave them much needed TV exposure and began their rise to a nationally recognized program in the early 70s. In fact, they suffered another one-point loss to a UCLA team lead by Bill Walton and coached by John Wooden in the NCAA championship game sometime in the 70s or early 80s.

IMO, playing in the NIT championship game can only help our program.

done · Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:43 pm

When Southern Miss won the thing I said it was nothing but a glorified exhibition game...feel the sane way now even though we are in it. Kind of like if our football team finished 6-6 and CUSA didn't have enough teams and we were invited to the New Orleans Bowl or the GMAC Bowl. Sure I would want us to win but it would not exactly excite me.

I think for a program like last year's Baylor team under Scott Drew that was learning how to play winning basketball the NIT is a building block, but for us under AK, I am afraid it may wind up just being our ultimate destination (until they expand the dance to include d*** near every team)...

But since we are in it, I am glad that MSU is out. The thought of possibly losing to them yet again in New York was not attractive to me at all. And even though the possibility of AK having to coach against Roy Williams (no matter how down NC is) is daunting at best...I am just not sure we can beat State. And if we somehow get to New York and lose to NC, at least we won't have to hear about it from the necks all year...

Plus you just know that just the thought of us still playing while they are done is making those puppies squirm like they have heart worms!

ThunderReb · Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:46 pm

colreb74 wrote:Let's face it, this is not the NCAA, it's the NIT..... NOT INTERESTED TOURNAMENT! I'll not even watching it. I watched or listened to every game I could up until our loss to Tennessee which guaranteed we would not make the NCAA tournament. I'll look up the score after the game to see if we won.

Say we win the NIT championship... what's that mean... you're better than the lower half of the NCAA schools? 66th place in the nation? If anything, it would be the highlight of the Andy Kennedy legacy! I don't see any more trophies in our case under his leadership.

Take it easy, Frances.

bbqit · Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:20 pm

Win the nit and you prove the selection committee wrong.

bleuwolfe · Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:42 pm

it is only an exhibition game/tourney if the team doesn't doesn't care about winning it... they care (a lot IMO)
so if nothing else its a confidence builder and very good FREE PR for OM (how many ppl outside MS know the diff b/n OM & St? even ESPN seems to have this on going problem) Winning is always good..

done · Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:11 pm

bbqit wrote:Win the nit and you prove the selection committee wrong.

Not really...it only means that you are the best of the teams they rejected..no way we deserved to be in the big tourney..especially ahead of State. I think that the fact that we only have our two best teams

MO) remaining in the big tourney shows what a down year it was for the SEC...I do still think the Champion will come from the SEC (KY), but overall this was as weak a year for the conference as I can recall.

bbqit · Sun Mar 21, 2010 10:32 am

Rebchuck18 wrote:
bbqit wrote:Win the nit and you prove the selection committee wrong.
Not really...it only means that you are the best of the teams they rejected..no way we deserved to be in the big tourney..especially ahead of State. I think that the fact that we only have our two best teams MO) remaining in the big tourney shows what a down year it was for the SEC...I do still think the Champion will come from the SEC (KY), but overall this was as weak a year for the conference as I can recall.

What you said about being best rejected may be true. Yet, I am not seeing the rest of it this year. I think many are over rated. Just like the pac 10 making a showing with folks saying all year they are down. Our two that lost at least went to the wire so I don't think of this as such a down year as a not respected year. Those that got in are dropping like flies. Ohio? St Mary's? etc. I think the entire nation of teams is ranked wrong. Perception and homerism carried many through this year.