It?s fun to watch.....

[Tbonewannabe]

You raise the banner, but you don't go crazy over it and you don't read too much into it. No matter how you slice it you are still playing other teams that didn't get into the real tournament. It's a great experience for the team and the extra practice is very valuable. Just don't carried away.

The way I look at it is the same as going to the Liberty Bowl. It is better to have the Liberty Bowl trophy than just sit at home with nothing. There is also a fine line between the level of teams we have beaten and what we might have faced in the tourney. I am very proud of this team and the way they are playing. It is finally great to watch some Men's basketball again.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

The way I look at it is the same as going to the Liberty Bowl. It is better to have the Liberty Bowl trophy than just sit at home with nothing. There is also a fine line between the level of teams we have beaten and what we might have faced in the tourney. I am very proud of this team and the way they are playing. It is finally great to watch some Men's basketball again.

In every game, there are only 2 possible outcomes. Win or Loss. So it's better to be the Liberty Bowl winner than the Liberty Bowl loser. I know that beating South Alabama in football 2 years ago wouldn't have been something to brag about, but it damn sure would have been better than the loss we took. So these people acting like it is just as good to lose in the NIT as it is to win in the NIT are idiots. It may "only be the NIT", but I damn sure want to win it. I would rather have an NIT trophy in our trophy case than be Nebraska who lost in the first round.

[drunkernhelldawg]

Definitely finishing in New York will give us some publicity going into next year. If we end up winning the whole thing then I could see us being preseason ranked next year.

I was thinking the same thing. May end ranked this season and definitely ranked preseason for 19.

[1bigdawg]

Actually, the best part of being in the NIT to me is that we played and won in hostile away games. That will play dividends as it is a tough thing to do. The practices are good as is that we keep playing, but winning on an away court against a decent team is worth a lot. For anyone who disagrees, think about how you would have felt is we had gone to Louisville and beaten them in the pre-SEC season.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

It's the NIT. These teams didn't make it. Aside from the 5-10 each year that get automatics and shouldn't be there, these aren't top 50 teams we're beating. Just how it is. I'll watch and be happy each win, but it's still simply practice for next season. It's a participation trophy but you get to improve yourself with the extra practices. How many teams from the NIT final 4 made the NCAA's this year? 1? The team that won it was a one and done team this year (tough matchup with Syracuse). Bakersfield made the final 4 last year. It's not a big deal beyond the practice and extra games. It's basically a low-end bowl game.
Are we going to tell recruits that we're a NIT team? No. All they're worried about is that damn One Shining Moment video.
I'm more excited about next year. This year is nothing special even if you win the NIT.

Bullshit. If we win, we get a trophy. For actually winning. The other 31 teams don't. So it's not a participation trophy. It's still an achievement. While certainly the NIT is second-tier to the NCAA tournament, it's still more of an accomplishment to be the NIT champion than it is to be eliminated in the first round of the NIT (like Nebraska), or not get in at all (like Ole Miss). However small you think the trophy or title is, you still have to compete to win it. Isn't winning better than losing?

[drunkernhelldawg]

Actually, the best part of being in the NIT to me is that we played and won in hostile away games. That will play dividends as it is a tough thing to do. The practices are good as is that we keep playing, but winning on an away court against a decent team is worth a lot. For anyone who disagrees, think about how you would have felt is we had gone to Louisville and beaten them in the pre-SEC season.

Great point since we would have probably made the dance had that happened.

Louisville and Baylor are just as good as at least 25 teams that are (were) in the big show. We're still playing! That right there makes us ELITE.

[Liverpooldawg]

In every game, there are only 2 possible outcomes. Win or Loss. So it's better to be the Liberty Bowl winner than the Liberty Bowl loser. I know that beating South Alabama in football 2 years ago wouldn't have been something to brag about, but it damn sure would have been better than the loss we took. So these people acting like it is just as good to lose in the NIT as it is to win in the NIT are idiots. It may "only be the NIT", but I damn sure want to win it. I would rather have an NIT trophy in our trophy case than be Nebraska who lost in the first round.

I NEVER said I didn?t want to win it. What I said is don?t get carried away even if we DO win it. NIT Champsburg and everything that went with it was just hilarious. I was in a post grad school with a bunch of Ole Miss, MSU, and USM folks at the time. We weren?t in anything but we still laughed at the USM folks for making a big deal out of it. They shut up pretty quick when we did too because they weren?t stupid people. This run is fantastic for the development of this young team but you can?t extrapolate success in the NIT to anything at a higher level. It?s a different level of competition. This is exactly like going to a lowest tier bowl with a young football team and playing somebody like Miami of Ohio.

[Tbonewannabe]

I NEVER said I didn?t want to win it. What I said is don?t get carried away even if we DO win it. NIT Champsburg and everything that went with it was just hilarious. I was in a post grad school with a bunch of Ole Miss, MSU, and USM folks at the time. We weren?t in anything but we still laughed at the USM folks for making a big deal out of it. They shut up pretty quick when we did too because they weren?t stupid people. This run is fantastic for the development of this young team but you can?t extrapolate success in the NIT to anything at a higher level. It?s a different level of competition. This is exactly like going to a lowest tier bowl with a young football team and playing somebody like Miami of Ohio.

Exactly, we used the St Petersburg bowl to get ready for the next season which got us to the Gator Bowl and a broken ankle from possibly the Citrus Bowl. Hopefully we use the NIT run to get us into the NCAA's next year and hopefully a Sweet 16.

[Percho]

I NEVER said I didn?t want to win it. What I said is don?t get carried away even if we DO win it. NIT Champsburg and everything that went with it was just hilarious. I was in a post grad school with a bunch of Ole Miss, MSU, and USM folks at the time. We weren?t in anything but we still laughed at the USM folks for making a big deal out of it. They shut up pretty quick when we did too because they weren?t stupid people. This run is fantastic for the development of this young team but you can?t extrapolate success in the NIT to anything at a higher level. It?s a different level of competition. This is exactly like going to a lowest tier bowl with a young football team and playing somebody like Miami of Ohio.

Virginia should have been in the N I T!

[Bulldog1]

It?s a different level of competition. This is exactly like going to a lowest tier bowl with a young football team and playing somebody like Miami of Ohio.

That’s not true at all. Baylor, Nebraska, and Louisville Basketball does not compare with Miami Ohio football program. They are contenders for their conference every year in basketball. That’s a terrible comparison.

[BrunswickDawg]

That?s not true at all. Baylor, Nebraska, and Louisville Basketball does not compare with Miami Ohio football program. They are contenders for their conference every year in basketball. That?s a terrible comparison.

You are pretty close -
Baylor was AP #24 pre-season and got ranked as high as #16
Nebraska had their highest win total since 1991, and fewest losses since 1994.
Louisville was #16 preseason - and got torched by the Pitino deal.

If the NIT was running 64 teams out there, then Liverpool would be right. We have been in a solid bracket this year and faced real competition.
Penn State will arguably be the worst team we have faced in the NIT - and that's even considering they knocked off Ohio State 2 times this year.

If they make it thru to face us in the finals, Saint Mary's is 30-5, ranked as high as #11, and is still in the Top 25. That would be a fun game to watch.

[starkvegasdawg]

To me the NIT is a big deal. No, it is not the NCAA, but you win the NIT and you out lasted 31 other teams that are probably better than 40% of the NCAA field.

[Cooterpoot]

Bullshit. If we win, we get a trophy. For actually winning. The other 31 teams don't. So it's not a participation trophy. It's still an achievement. While certainly the NIT is second-tier to the NCAA tournament, it's still more of an accomplishment to be the NIT champion than it is to be eliminated in the first round of the NIT (like Nebraska), or not get in at all (like Ole Miss). However small you think the trophy or title is, you still have to compete to win it. Isn't winning better than losing?

And it's meaningless compared to the trophy won by the NCAA champion. It's a second-tier achievement, hence...participation trophy. It's not the real tournament. It's a tournament for the teams that couldn't make the NCAAs. I don't disagree that you compete to win. But it's still a pretty meaningless trophy at the end of the tournament.
It's like banging the skank at the bar. You'll probably enjoy the ride, but you won't be bragging about it much. All you can do is say, "we should've been in the real tournament".
But to each their own. If it tingles your senses, then great. I just don't get anything out of it except something to watch on tv.

[Bulldog1]

And it's meaningless compared to the trophy won by the NCAA champion. It's a second-tier achievement, hence...participation trophy. It's not the real tournament. It's a tournament for the teams that couldn't make the NCAAs. I don't disagree that you compete to win. But it's still a pretty meaningless trophy at the end of the tournament.
It's like banging the skank at the bar. You'll probably enjoy the ride, but you won't be bragging about it much. All you can do is say, "we should've been in the real tournament".

It’s not meaningless to our players. This is helping our team.

[starkvegasdawg]

And it's meaningless compared to the trophy won by the NCAA champion. It's a second-tier achievement, hence...participation trophy. It's not the real tournament. It's a tournament for the teams that couldn't make the NCAAs. I don't disagree that you compete to win. But it's still a pretty meaningless trophy at the end of the tournament.
It's like banging the skank at the bar. You'll probably enjoy the ride, but you won't be bragging about it much. All you can do is say, "we should've been in the real tournament".
But to each their own. If it tingles your senses, then great. I just don't get anything out of it except something to watch on tv.

It is a second tier trophy we have never won. This is like saying there is no reason to get excited winning a bowl game if it is not for the national title. I guess you would have not been excited had we won the orange bowl that year.

[MCsMGs]

To me the NIT is a big deal. No, it is not the NCAA, but you win the NIT and you out lasted 31 other teams that are probably better than 40% of the NCAA field.

Exactly! If you take the auto bids out of the NCAA, most of the teams in the NIT would be in there. A quick look at the BPI and SOS of Louisville, Baylor and Nebraska you would see that they are better than 30% or more of the field in the NCAA. Some of those that are knocking the NIT are the same ones that harp on our non conference SOS. We beat 3 teams that would easily been in the NCAA if it weren’t for auto bids and we beat the best 2 of the 3 in their own house which wouldn’t have even happened if they or we were in the tourney.

[Dawg61]

I NEVER said I didn?t want to win it. What I said is don?t get carried away even if we DO win it. NIT Champsburg and everything that went with it was just hilarious. I was in a post grad school with a bunch of Ole Miss, MSU, and USM folks at the time. We weren?t in anything but we still laughed at the USM folks for making a big deal out of it. They shut up pretty quick when we did too because they weren?t stupid people. This run is fantastic for the development of this young team but you can?t extrapolate success in the NIT to anything at a higher level. It?s a different level of competition. This is exactly like going to a lowest tier bowl with a young football team and playing somebody like Miami of Ohio.

We aren't going to put up a billboard in Times Square if we win it but maybe we should cause we would technically own New York for that week

[Turfdawg67]

And it's meaningless compared to the trophy won by the NCAA champion. It's a second-tier achievement, hence...participation trophy. It's not the real tournament. It's a tournament for the teams that couldn't make the NCAAs. I don't disagree that you compete to win. But it's still a pretty meaningless trophy at the end of the tournament.
It's like banging the skank at the bar. You'll probably enjoy the ride, but you won't be bragging about it much. All you can do is say, "we should've been in the real tournament".
But to each their own. If it tingles your senses, then great. I just don't get anything out of it except something to watch on tv.

You are wrong. It means a hell of a lot to the players and to keep playing is so incredibly valuable to this young team?s future its unmeasurable. If we would have beaten the same 3 teams in the regular season, we?d probably be in the big dance... high quality teams, better than 30-40% of the teams in their here now.

[Turfdawg67]

That’s not true at all. Baylor, Nebraska, and Louisville Basketball does not compare with Miami Ohio football program. They are contenders for their conference every year in basketball. That’s a terrible comparison.

1400+ posts in 2 months is quite the feat, but if most were more like this one, I wouldn’t mind at all. Right on target. Not that you need my approval...

[Liverpooldawg]

That’s not true at all. Baylor, Nebraska, and Louisville Basketball does not compare with Miami Ohio football program. They are contenders for their conference every year in basketball. That’s a terrible comparison.

They weren't this year. You are looking at names. By the way, Nebraska basketball ain't even a name.