NIT is still happening... What of the Big Ten teams so far?

Submitted by oriental andrew on

Random, I know, but my extended family is all Illini, sooo....

Big Ten teams in the NIT include:

  1. Iowa as a 1 seed. They face 8 seed South Dakota today. I guess they'll win?
  2. Illinois as a 2 seed. They crushed 7 seed Valpo last night. Up next is is 6 Boise State, who upset 3 Utah. If they beat BSU, they could potentially face 1 Illinois State in the regional finals in the BATTLE FOR ILLINOIS!!!
  3. Indiana as a 3 seed. They played AT (despite being the higher seed) 6 Georgia Tech and LOST. Because they're stupid and somehow think that playing a home NIT game devalues the aura and mystique and BRAND of Assembly Hall. So they lost on the road. Because they're dumb. 
  4. Also of local SE Michigan interest is the fact that 7 seed Oakland upset 2 Clemson and goes on to play 6 Richmond, who upset 2 Alabama. They are in the same regional bracket as Iowa. 

Sure, this all takes a backseat to the BIG DANCE, but you at least want to see the non-Crean Big Ten teams do well in the NIT. 

74polSKA

March 15th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^

Looking at that picture of Crean, I'm imagining the conversations he and Jim have over dinner at the holidays. He really married up into the Harbaugh family.

ijohnb

March 15th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^

is such a pretentious decision to make.  Go on the road to play because your arena is below the NIT.  I got an idea - stop sucking and then you won't have to worry about the NIT.

funkywolve

March 15th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^

The luster of the post season NIT tournament has dimmed significantly over the years.  You mention Indiana winning the NIT in 1979.  For some perspective, the NCAA tournament field back then was only 32 teams.  In fact, the Purdue team that IU beat to win the 1979 NIT was Big Ten Co-Champs, but didn't make the NCAA tourney.

Alton

March 15th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^

Close--the NCAA field was 40 in 1979.  There was also a maximum of 2 teams per conference that could qualify for the NCAA tournament, so only 2 of the 3 teams that tied for the Big Ten title could be invited.

Purdue, at #16 in the nation, was left out in favor of #4 Michigan State and #14 Iowa.

funkywolve

March 15th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^

In head coach Lee Rose's first season at Purdue, where he introduced a slowed-down, tempo-controlled style of play, he led the Boilers to a Big Ten Conference co-title, along with the eventual NCAA Champion, Ervin Johnson-led Michigan State team. With only a 32 team NCAA Tournament field in 1979, the Boilermakers were forced to enter the NIT, instead, due to the favor Michigan State had over Purdue for their head-to-head record on the season. Purdue qualified for the National Invitation Tournament, where they lost to the Indiana Hoosiers in the tournament finals.

lbpeley

March 15th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^

the only thing worse than being in the NIT is not winning it. Dumbasses. If you're going to accept the invite you might as well try to win the damn thing. 

AC1997

March 15th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^

I just want to point out something that's worse than being in the NIT.  Being Ohio State Basketball.  

Seven Big-10 teams made the NCAA tournament, including perennial doormat Northwestern.  Three more teams made the NIT, including such titans of basketball excellence the Fighting Illini.  Hell, nearby "rival" Toledo even made it to the CBI tournament.  

 

Yet with all of that, our rivals to the south find themselves sitting on their couches during March Madness this year.  It must suck to know that ten teams from the Big Ten are playing in the post-season and you aren't one of them.  

MH20

March 15th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^

Assuming that IU doesn't make a homerun hire I'd be OK with Crean leaving if for no other reason than it would be nice to see Harbaugh advocate on behalf of Beilein and the basketball program.  Maybe I've missed it but I can't recall an instance of him doing so.

TIMMMAAY

March 15th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^

He hasn't. His public support of Crean really grinds my gears. You're the head football coach at the University of Michigan, you can't root for Indiana over Michigan, even though your sister chose to marry Tom Crean. You just can't. 

snarling wolverine

March 15th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^

To be fair, it's not like he's regularly tweeting out support for IU either.  He rarely comments on basketball at all.

I think he is just in an awkward situation.  He's extremely loyal to both Michigan and his family, and this leaves him in a pinch.   I'd like to see Crean fired so that he can have this dilemma resolved.  

 

TIMMMAAY

March 15th, 2017 at 4:36 PM ^

I'm not going to hunt down the quote, but it exists somewhere. He was once asked, in either an interview or press conference, who he would root for in the upcoming M vs Indiana game. He said he would have to root for the Hoosiers.

That, combined with him showing up in their locker room, and lack of public support for MBB is a little grating to me. Not a huge deal I guess, but not the best look either. 

snarling wolverine

March 15th, 2017 at 4:24 PM ^

I really don't see Jim openly rooting for Indiana in the first place.   He went to their lockerroom once (which I agree was in poor form) but other than that I can't really think of any examples of him doing that.

It seems like he avoids commenting on basketball in general.

 

MH20

March 15th, 2017 at 2:11 PM ^

I know he's been to basketball games, but has he been to one when he wasn't being introduced as head football coach, it wasn't a big recruiting weekend, or Michigan wasn't playing Indiana?

Obviously, we all remember seeing him coming out of the IU locker room during halftime of the IU/M basketball game last season, and I specifically recall the cameras highlighting Jack in the stands during this season's IU game at Crisler.

ijohnb

March 15th, 2017 at 2:32 PM ^

is wrong.  I don't have many issues with Harbaugh, I can't think of more than two off the top of my head but this is one of them.  He should support the basketball program more than he does.  Hell, even Mork D makes it to several Michigan State basketball games a year.  There is no reason that Harbaugh cannot go to more than he does.  I also don't buy the argument about Indiana that "it is family."  1) It isn't REALLY family for him, it is like an in-law, "once removed," and 2) So what?  It is still "family" the other 363 days per year that Indiana doesn't play Michigan in basketball.  Is Crean going to be Oh So Devastated if Harbaugh can't make it to one of games and cannot openly root for Indiana?  He should go to dinner after with him if he just can't help but be Crean's bestie for that night.

That is not a good look for Harbaugh.

74polSKA

March 15th, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^

I am as well. Here's a kind of serious question not limited to Indiana's situation. What would be worse, playing at home in an empty stadium/arena or having a full home crowd boo you because you and/or your organization suck?

UPMichigan

March 15th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^

If you're the Indiana athletic department, why would you spend the extra money to travel that far when you don't have to? And give up the extra revenue by having a home game?

FauxMo

March 15th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^

The NIT is a like a chick you take home from the bar. But it's like the 11th chick you talked to that night, and it was 1:55 AM when you asked her to come back to your place. And when you get home, she has a wooden leg and a glass eye. And after all that, all you get is a dry, mildly painful handy... 

My point is...No, I'm not following the NIT... 

In reply to by ijohnb

FauxMo

March 15th, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^

Who said I was drunk the night this happened?

I mean, MY FRIEND. Who said MY FRIEND who told me this story - and definitely not me personally - was drunk the night this happened???

Perkis-Size Me

March 15th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^

Crean's days are numbered. He recruits maybe one level below Duke, Kansas and Kentucky, which is still good enough to be the best in the Big Ten just about any year. For every decent to good year he has, his teams shit go and shit the bed the next year. 

With the amount of talent he reels in, failing to make the tournament should be grounds for termination. Especially failing to make it almost every other year. Hell, the Sweet Sixteen should almost be a baseline. But he can't even get beyond that. 

Won't be surprised if he's canned next year. 

LSAClassOf2000

March 15th, 2017 at 11:32 AM ^

They played AT (despite being the higher seed) 6 Georgia Tech and LOST. Because they're stupid and somehow think that playing a home NIT game devalues the aura and mystique and BRAND of Assembly Hall. So they lost on the road. Because they're dumb.

I just want to point out that this was about as eloquent as it gets when we're talking about Indiana's rationale for doing this. 

Retaining Tom Crean devalues Assembly Hall. An NIT opener against Georgia Tech wasn't going to make an appreciable difference.