NIT
Michigan decides to play the NIT. Plays Toledo on Tuesday
March 12th, 2023 at 10:20 PM ^
We lose by 4. Got it.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:26 PM ^
That’s a blow out for this team. 1 seems more on brand.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:20 PM ^
Nick Moore.
Too soon?
March 12th, 2023 at 10:50 PM ^
Nickmoorenickmoorenickmoore
March 12th, 2023 at 10:20 PM ^
Playing Toledo in the first round is the definition of no good can come from this. Win? Good job, you beat a MAC school. Lose, now you lost to a MAC school from Ohio.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:39 PM ^
Well, win, and you get to keep playing towards an NIT championship. Which, I get it, doesn't matter to you, but I'll be watching and cheering for our team. Go Blue!
March 12th, 2023 at 10:46 PM ^
I’ll be watching and cheering, but this is clearly the worst matchup Michigan could have had in terms of how painful would a loss be. I would have preferred playing a team like Seton Hall or Villanova, who are also playing 2 seeds.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:29 AM ^
It's the NIT, and half of these teams have to play in less than 48 hours. If you look at the bracket, many of the first round matchups were determined by location to reduce travel.
Florida plays UCF. Rutgers plays Hofstra. Washington St plays EWU. Wisconsin plays Bradley. If you want to avoid the possibility of losing to mid-major school in your area, then either make the NCAA Tournament field or take the cowardly way out like UNC and just decline the invite.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:13 AM ^
the worst matchup Michigan could have had in terms of how painful would a loss be
Kinda like CMU.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:49 AM ^
Couldn't you say that anytime you play a lower seed in any post season tournament?
"Great we are a 2 seed, no good can come from this. Win? Good job, you beat Middle Tennessee. Lose, now you lost to a nobody school from the middle of Tennesee."
You realize there’s a difference between losing to a school in Ohio and a school in Tennessee, right?
More basketball is good for a young team. Are we competing against MAC schools for talent? Because that's a whole other situation.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:24 PM ^
This is a team that could use more live fire practice. Bring on the NIT!
March 12th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
North Carolina are a bunch of entitled bitches...that is all.
whose athletic programs cheated at school for nearly two decades and should've received the death penalty. (NTDP, the other one).
North Carolina A&T really got hammered though!
March 12th, 2023 at 10:44 PM ^
I had accepted our fate and missing the tournament was all but guaranteed, yet I was still surprised that we weren’t at least considered a bubble team.
I’m hoping we see this play team play well and play together. Making a run would sort of change the feel of the season. Whenever I’m feeling down, I remind myself that things could be worse. We could all be Buckeye fans. That would really suck right now.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:52 PM ^
First four out. Did it to themselves multiple times. Don’t lose to a CMU team that did not have Dan Majerle or Chris Kaman and win one of your close games and you’re in.
March 12th, 2023 at 10:57 PM ^
Any opportunity to get Dug more game experience is a good thing. We don't know who he'll have around him next year, but his development is crucial. If he can find a way to finish in the paint, he'll be a problem.
This game is for Dug and Reed to get more practice time. (you talkin about practice??) Thats all.
Kobe and Howard gone to NBA. Hunter doing whateva,
All the guys who havent done a thing all year gonna improve so much with 2 more days of practice - shut up about that people. TW! gonna be lottery pick with the 2 extra trainings Freshmen who never see the court gonna rule! Gonna lead us next year!!
Exactly, thank God this team can practice for maybe another week! Such a spring board into next season! These are valuable minutes were talking about!
March 13th, 2023 at 10:45 AM ^
Why would you not want to have more games and more practices for a team with a bunch of underclassmen?
They just practiced for 5 months and had 32 games. Next season is still 8 months away, they don't relate.
You're out of your mind. Game film for young players is very valuable. Especially for a PG. Dug has been progressing nicely, and the majority of that is bc of film review. And if you want the defense to improve, you want as much tape as possible to review defensive concepts -- very important for Dug and Reed (and Jett if he stays).
March 12th, 2023 at 10:57 PM ^
Not
Invited
Tournament
or
Not
In
Tournament
March 12th, 2023 at 11:12 PM ^
Nobody's Interested Tournament
March 12th, 2023 at 11:51 PM ^
Never
Intentional
Tournament
March 13th, 2023 at 12:08 AM ^
The whole program is going backwards. I respect NC for declining thought M would do the same. Wrong....😑
March 13th, 2023 at 12:47 AM ^
There is nothing to respect about the UNC athletic program as a whole. UNC pulled a punk move after the embarrassment of being the first preseason #1 team to not make the NCAA Tournament. Anything that could potentially help this Michigan team be better next year is a good thing so in my view the accepting the NIT is a good thing for Michigan.
This is a weak take. UNC has 6 National Championships so yes it is a respected program. Sometimes it might be better to send a message to your players that the fun and games are over and that you don’t deserve to keep on playing.
This wasn't Hubert sending the players a message, though. This was the players, mostly upperclassmen, saying we're done here.
If you have to commit academic fraud and turn your university into a joke to win, was it a pyrrhic victory? UNC committed almost two decades of academic fraud in service of their athletic programs. There is nothing to respect about that. The only reason they didn't lose their banners is because the NCAA has no authority over academic fraud which was hilarious. And Michigan fans had to endure years of abuse from the likes of their fan base and their ilk who called Michigan dirty for the Fab Five.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Carolina_academic-athletic_scandal
It's just a pride thing. Not sure Izzo would accept NIT bid either. Coaching seriously needs to be re-evaluated. The sweet 16 run last season masked glaring issues that they never overcame this year.
People, this isn't a bowl game with 15 practices and a game. It's literally a weeks worth of practice, this team isn't advancing far. If they get past Toledo then Vandy is the end of the road. Vandy is building..Michigan is declining.
Any comparison to what UNC is doing is not compelling. UNC is a veteran team, preseason #1, with a team that played in the championship last year. We are not that, and our decision to get more game time is probably letter for our future team.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
The players want to play.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:27 AM ^
Comin in 69th sounds fun
March 13th, 2023 at 12:28 AM ^
EDIT: replied to wrong post
One and done!
Michigan will lead the entire game until the 5 min mark then they will IMPLODE , turn the ball over, miss FTs. take silly shots and committ stupid fouls to lose it at the end...
Probably a good call. Team needs a chance to play more together and see if it can't exorcise some of the late-game demons from the end of the year.
Juwan, in 4 years, has a Big Ten championship and two sweet sixteen appearances.... and people talking about time for a change? WTF?
Look at the single digit losses this year..... those are execution problems... if you're within a score or two at the end of the game, the coach did his job, players have to make plays.
March 13th, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
I think this may speak to some returning. Do you play in the NIT if your entering the draft I am talking about players not the program. I would guess no in this world of college athletics. Maybe the accepting the invitation means a couple are coming back? One can hope I guess
March 13th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^
I get why the staff and players want to continue playing, but I’m frankly wondering how much of a positive it is for the program.
I guess the minutes for Dug and Taris could be good, but they don’t play anyone else that is going to move this program forward next year beyond the Big 3. And if they if Kobe or Jett blows up and plays amazing it is just more tape for the NBA scouts to drool over.
As a fan, The whole thing just kinda seems like a waste of time at this point.
March 13th, 2023 at 12:18 PM ^
"Seems like a waste of time at this point."
I agree. I'm surprised the NIT isn't defunct, or strictly for lower tier, one bid conferences.
Do Power 5 teams and fans really care about the NIT? Or would a team like Lipscomb, who finished 20-13 this year but didn't make the postseason, care more about taking one of the 32 spots?
Maybe they could take the top 32 teams from the non power 5 conferences who didn't make the tourney, and award the NIT winner an automatic NCAA Tourney bid for the next season. Make it worthwhile in some way.