NITology: U-M a 6 seed at Old Dominion
Bracket Matrix has released their first NITology.
Michigan is slotted as a 6 seed and has them heading to 3 seed Old Dominion in the first round
http://www.bracketmatrix.com/PDFS/NIT150213.pdf
Another NITology had Michigan as the last 2 seed in the NIT last week. Now they're the last 3 seed and would be facing 6 seed Creighton in the first round.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:14 PM ^
NIT=Not Invited...Tournament?
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February 15th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
I always thought it meant "Not In Tournament"
February 16th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
I would always hear those clever Sparties call is that during the Amaker years. I guess we deserved it...
February 15th, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
If it comes down to the CBI, I'll be very annoyed if they don't accept the invite.
More experience will not hurt this team.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:19 PM ^
Agreed. MAAR and Dawkins basically sat out the first half of the season. They need these games. Doyle too.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:39 PM ^
wouldn't accept. The team has had a ton of adversity and hasn't stopped competing hard. No shame in a NIT bid.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:53 PM ^
He's talking about the CBI not the NIT.
February 15th, 2015 at 11:20 PM ^
This year, there's no shame in a CBI bid, either.
February 16th, 2015 at 12:42 AM ^
Yeah, because the NIT is so much higher up the food chain than the CBI. What difference does it make? They need playing experience against D1 competition.
February 15th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
No they will not accept a CBI bid. And I've never bought this argument that 3 games against crap competition will help players on the team. You know what will help them? Extra time in the weight room in the offseason instead of a joke tourney like the CBI
February 15th, 2015 at 9:48 PM ^
I'd rather the team play actual basketball, with actual stakes, than this amorphous "weight room" time they'd probably still be involved in whenever they get eliminated. I know there's this idea that athletes get stronger in the offseason, but lots of that is due to simply getting older and spending more time engaged in their sport, and playing officially-sanctioned basketball gives their coaches more and sustained access to these players than some junior assistant watching over them in the weightroom.
February 15th, 2015 at 9:55 PM ^
I'm sure winning the CBI in 2010 didn't help VCU whatsoever the following year when they went to the Final Four.
It's experience. It's playing time. In actual basketball games. Michigan could get a maximum of six extra games if they go to game 3 of the championship series.
February 15th, 2015 at 10:07 PM ^
This tourney is such a joke they play a best of 3 at the end. You know where you get experience? Now, in the B1G on the road in tough environments. Not playing our sisters of the poor in a half full arena in a meaningless game. CBI is a joke, and Michigan wouldn't embarrass themselves by playing in it
February 16th, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^
As a fan, I would rather see Michigan play in the CBI or NIT over not going to the postseason, but the argument of "more experience" doesn't hold up to me.
Penn State was in the CBI last year and is a fringe NIT team this year and Minnesota won the NIT last year and is projected go back there again. On the contrary, Indiana declined their CBI bid and are projected as a #7 seed in the NCAA Tournament right now. These are just 3 examples, but go back and look and you will see similar things. There really hasn't been any trend for CBI or NIT postseason success equating to success in the next season.
I don't think more playing time would hurt this team, but as others have pointed out, in the long run, taking time off to heal, hitting the weight room, and scrimmaging our own team might be more productive than games against teams like Old Dominion.
It also could give the staff more time to recruit as well. I know we're not talking about much extra time, but if it means we can reel in a guy like Jaylen Brown, I would take that over any CBI or NIT bid 10 times over.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:17 PM ^
I think we are headed to the CBI. We finish the year under .500. What a tragic year for Michigan sports.
This is the bottom right?
February 15th, 2015 at 9:02 PM ^
It's not the bottom.
February 16th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^
We have Harbaugh, remember?
February 15th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
Although a couple more practices and some Air time would help this team grow!
February 15th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
Wish it were on a weekend...4 hour drive from Howard County :(
February 15th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
Ballin!!!!
February 15th, 2015 at 8:25 PM ^
I don't even see the CBI. I am not sure there is another win left on the schedule.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:27 PM ^
In 2010, Michigan went 15-17 and declined a CBI invite.
PSU was 15-17 in the CBI last year.
Also, Michigan is going to win some more games before the regular season is over.
February 15th, 2015 at 11:39 PM ^
Michigan basketball =/= Penn State basketball.
February 16th, 2015 at 12:53 AM ^
He's talking about an invitation, not prestige of the programs
February 16th, 2015 at 2:18 AM ^
Right and I'm saying Michigan has no place in the CBI b/c of prestige and pride (misplaced or not)...
February 16th, 2015 at 7:43 AM ^
The record is what it is. Playing games is what will make the current team better. Sitting at home is no advantage.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^
Not another win on the schedule? Are you serious? 2 home games vs our biggest rivals, at NW and home vs Rutgers. At MD will be tough. Believe. Go Blue!
February 15th, 2015 at 9:10 PM ^
Rutgers should be a gimme though. Unless they play like they did against Wisconsin.
February 16th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^
We likely beat Wisconsin if Kaminsky was out of our game. This makes me not too worried about Rutgers.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:50 PM ^
When we make the NIT, we win it. It's been proven.
February 15th, 2015 at 8:56 PM ^
Except against rutgers.
February 15th, 2015 at 9:02 PM ^
Anyone else feel like this team at least has a chance of making a run in the big ten tournament and getting into the dance? They've had so many close losses, it's not like we've been getting blown out. With each game the freshman get more experience and Derrick Walton might be back by then. Just hoping there's a small chance we won't have to watch the NIT..
February 15th, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^
Unfortunately no.
February 15th, 2015 at 9:56 PM ^
Not a chance.
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February 16th, 2015 at 1:13 PM ^
a lot to ask from our short bench, to go deep in the B1G Tourney. That's a lot of game minutes in consecutive days on already overworked legs (especially if no/limited Walton).
February 15th, 2015 at 9:04 PM ^
usually gets games on TV right? What about the CBI? I guess if we play ODU that game should be on the Mid Atlantic Sports Network (sorry non-DC folks).
February 15th, 2015 at 9:15 PM ^
AXS TV is the traditional home of the CBI.
Michigan would most likely have their games on there so the network could grab viewers and knowledge of the network's existence.
Michigan actually played two games on that channel a few years ago in 2010-11 in the Legends Classic when it was in Atlantic City. It was THJ's freshman year and Michigan pushed a ranked Syracuse team until the end. Back then the network was known as HDNet.
It's channel 382 in SE Michigan on comcast.
Also: Michigan will play games on AXS TV next year. They will play in the Battle 4 Atlantis early season tournament.
February 16th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
Every nit game is on ESPN or ESPN 3
February 15th, 2015 at 9:26 PM ^
Still need to finish 500 to get into nit?
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February 15th, 2015 at 11:05 PM ^
for an NIT invite, but I believe there has never been an invitation offerred to a sub-.500 team.
February 16th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
There have been but the nit used to 40 teams. PSU got an nit bid with a 15-17 record in the mid 2000s. They brought back the number of teams from 40 to 32 so this wouldn't happen. There is almost 0% chance a team with a losing record can make the nit today. Remember IU ended last season 17-15 and didn't make the nit
February 15th, 2015 at 10:09 PM ^
pathetic. i'd rather not go...
February 16th, 2015 at 12:54 AM ^
but how many games do we have to win to run the conference tourney? Just like THE tourney, it's about getting hot at the right time. It's about luck & hitting a very small steak of wins. When on, we can hit the outside shot! I'm not saying it's happening (I'd give us a 5% chance being generous) but crazier things have happened. Until we're not going to the tourney, I won't consider the NIT or CBI. When we're out I will. Sadly, I think it's tourney or CBI & many think it's worse to play in it than not. We'll see.
February 16th, 2015 at 8:27 AM ^
Iggy?
February 16th, 2015 at 10:08 AM ^
February 16th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
This site has a 12-13 Florida team as an 8-seed in the Big Dance. This makes no sense to me.