Indiana Rejects CBI Invitation
I saw the thread the other day about Indiana making the CBI, but I don't believe the information about them rejecting the invite was included. Fred Glass said, "we're Indiana. We don't play in the CBI." Unfortunately for them, they don't play in the NCAA Tourney either.
Is this the right move for them, or would it be better to let their young players get some experience?
March 18th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
So stupid to turn these things down. Wouldn't they get extra practices by participating compared to teams that don't play? I could be wrong. Regardless, you can't "teach" game experience. Sour grapes and goes to show that Crean is a moron.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
The CBI is typically a money-loser for teams that play in it. Teams that would gain nothing from the exposure usually turn it down - which is to say, most (not all) high-major teams that get an invite.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
Basketball doesn't really need the extra practices towards the end of the year. And Vonleh won't be there next year, so it's not like he needs to practice more with this team. I think this is a $$$ thing as much as anything...how do you sell a home game in the CBI to your fans? Nothing good would come out of playing this f you are Indiana, so they did the right thing.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
Maybe turning down the CBI is the right thing, but doing so by saying, "We're Indiana, we don't play in the CBI" is not the right way to handle it. They could have just said that they don't accept the bid, rather than suggesting they're above it. Because if they were, they'd be playing with the big boys. Or the NIT.
Beilein, naturally, had a classier way to put it when Michigan in 2010 opted not to consider a CBI invite:
“We do not have an interest in that tournament,” Beilein said. “We’re not interested in the CBI tournament this particular year.”
March 18th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
He just ends up sounding defensive. Winners don't waste time posturing.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
If you get a home game and sell out your arena. The $ argument goes out the window.
Plus you get extra practice time, can experiment with line ups in real game situations and to the extent you win in the Madison Square Garden at the end its not bad exposure.
If you are Duke maybe...IU is not Duke. Hell, IU isn't even Kentucky and they went last year. IU is young...and clearly the way they turned the ball over this year...they need the extra game time experience.
One correction: The NIT final four is played at MSG, but all the CBI games are played at campus sites.
Kentucky went to the NIT last year, not the CBI.
Extra practice time means nothing when two starters (doubtful that Yogi goes pro, but why stay at IU) at the least won't be there next year. You've had 32 games this year alone. My arguement was strictly for the CBI tournament, not the NIT. The NIT always makes sense to play in.
Selling out the arena is a pretty dicey proposition for the CBI - considering how not-likely fans are to shell out for another trip to watch their already extremely disappointing team play Morehead State in the first round of a tournament one level below the one you get made fun of for going to.
When you put it that way, it sounds so exclusive.
This is exactly right. In football, if you make a bowl you get 10-15 extra practices before the game.. In basketball, depending on the timing of the game, you get maybe 3 or four before your first game. Just not enough to make a huge difference. If you're not going to break even there's no point in going.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
March 18th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
Won it under Amaker one year. Played in it a few times recently.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
March 18th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
We denied a CBI bid in 2010, but never an NIT bid.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
I believe portions of the fanbase wanted them to reject the bid in '97, but it didn't happen. Michigan went on to win the NIT, but later vacated it.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
I certainly wanted us to reject the NIT bid in '07. We needed to fire Amaker and begin the coaching search, not play meaningless games for a lame duck in a tournament that had become a deserved punchline for our program.
Thankfully, we only had to endure two games of it.
Ok. I knew it was something close to that. Anyways its probably not good to rip Indiana since we did it as well.
"Did we not accept a NIT bid before?"
The reason why commenters responded the way they did is because your statement suggests that we accepted an NIT bid before. Another way to rewrite your statement is, "Didn't we accept a[n] NIT bid before?" What you meant to write was, "Did we not DECLINE an NIT bid before?"
Just fyi for future reference.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
Didn't we do this once, too?
March 18th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
Manny and DeShawn's final season IIRC. Finished with a 16-17 record, which you need .500+ to be invited to the NIT I believe is a requirement. Instead, turned down the CBI bid.
ED: "Teams are no longer required to have .500 or greater records to receive bids. Even with this change, however, all teams receiving invitations for the NIT have had .500 or greater records"
Partly. We didn't get uppity and say we were Michigan and too good for it
March 18th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
Maybe this will be a decision for Izzo next year when his team consists solely of weird guys and excuses.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
I think the Pistons will be a solid NIT team next year...
That should be "injured", weird guys and excuses.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
I bet when he received the invitation, Tom Crean looked like this
/expect'd
Everytime I see this picture, I come up with another idea of what's going through his head:
"Wait...you mean the Earth travels around the SUN?"
"That chick from Crying Game is a DUDE"?
"There's no Easter Bunny either?"
March 18th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
"This is Indiana, ferBobbysake."
March 18th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
"We're Indiana. We don't play in the CBI." Apparently humble pie isn't going down so well. Some other statements he could make:
"We're Indiana. We wear ugly pants."
"We're Indiana. We don't travel well."
"We're Indiana. We've been embarrassed at better tournaments than the CBI."
"We're Indiana. Our program is wrecked."
March 18th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
Is that Lee Corso in black and white?
March 18th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
Yes. He was the HC at IU.
A friend of mine played linebacker for Corso at IU. He says not only was Corso a complete a-hole to play for, after my friend suffered a serious leg injury, Corso simply cut him and took away his scholarship. He had to transfer to a smaller school in his home state which he could afford.
who went to FSU with Corso's daughter many years ago said he got to know her REALLY well...on a few occasions. Said she was a lot nicer than he was.
I believe UM got to know Corso REALLY well...on a few occasions.
stood at a urinal next to Corso. Said he was really no big deal.
My friend and I met him and Herbie in the Spartan Stadium press box in '97. My friend started giving him shit about something or other and he was a good sport about it. He laughed about it and gave him a smart ass comment back.
"Hey Lee, nice watch you got there."
March 18th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
look who we're talking about. Since they currently employ the one of the most classless coaches in NCAA basketball, it looks like showing class isn't high on their list of priorities.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
They wouldn't have to worry about all this if Jeff Meyer hadn't come along and destroyed everything.
March 18th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
I suppose that, as a consolation prize, the Big Ten could go the traditional "Thanks for playing" route and give Tom Crean and Indiana a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni and the board game version of the conference season as well as various other door prizes that will simply be shoved in the front closet when they finally get home from wherever. Somehow, that would be only fitting.
LOL that's pretty funny
did they not get an NIT bid?
Maryland didn't get in either (they were both 17-15). The NIT seemingly wanted to go with high-acheiver mid-majors this year rather than middling teams from power conferences.
Regular season champions who didn't win their conference tournaments and did not make the NCAAs, get an auto bid into the NIT.
There were 13 of those this year. Maryland also did not get in.
.
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Top 10 KenPom Teams Left Out of NIT
KenPom | Team | Conf | W-L | |
1 | 43 | Maryland | ACC | 17-15 |
2 | 62 | Marquette | BE | 17-15 |
3 | 72 | Miami YTM | ACC | 17-16 |
4 | 74 | Indiana | B1G | 17-15 |
5 | 79 | St Mary's | WCC | 22-11 |
6 | 80 | Boise St | MWC | 21-13 |
7 | 82 | Penn St | B1G | 15-17 |
8 | 83 | Middle Tenn | CUSA | 24-9 |
9 | 84 | Texas Tech | B12 | 14-18 |
10 | 85 | Cleveland St | Horz | 21-11 |