MBB earns No. 1 seed in NIT, hosts Northern Iowa Wednesday

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs earn No. 1 Seed in NIT, host Northern Iowa in first round | Wednesday 8pm CT

INDIANAPOLIS (NCAA/SMU) - The SMU men's basketball team earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, the tournament committee announced on Sunday night. The No. 1 seeded Mustangs host Northern Iowa in the first round on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT.

SMU earned its seventh postseason berth in the past 11 possible postseasons, including two NCAA bids and five NITs. The Mustangs have earned a spot in the NIT in four of the past five seasons. The Mustangs enter the tournament with a 23-10 record in their first year under head coach Andy Enfield. SMU finished tied for fourth in its inaugural ACC season with a 13-7 league record.

Junior guard Boopie Miller was named All-ACC Third Team and junior guard B.J. Edwards was selected to the ACC All-Defensive Team. Edwards also received votes for Most Improved Player and senior guard Kario Oquendo received votes for Sixth Man of the Year.

The winner of SMU and Northern Iowa (20-12) will face the winner of Oklahoma State and Wichita State in the second round of the NIT.

For tickets and other game information, visit SMUMustangs.com/gameday.

[highlander]

OK somebody clue me in: what is the advantage for Wake to decline an NIT invite? Do they think the NIT is "beneath them"?

[GHammond]

It has essentially become a mid-major tourney, with Indiana, Ohio St, and Rutgers opting out. By 2030, or sooner, it will be no more. Why are we playing? Should we not be focusing on transfer portal matters, etc? Not sure the Turk is going to vastly improve because of this, for example.

[CA Mustang]

It has essentially become a mid-major tourney, with Indiana, Ohio St, and Rutgers opting out. By 2030, or sooner, it will be no more. Why are we playing? Should we not be focusing on transfer portal matters, etc? Not sure the Turk is going to vastly improve because of this, for example.

You play because you only get so many chances to play. Opting out won't improve a team's transfer portal results. A coaching staff can coach and work the portal simultaneously.

[GHammond]

Just feels so Conference USA…will be interesting to see the teams motivation level
and fire.

[ponyte]

It's insane that 14 of 16 SEC teams made the March Madness tourney. South Carolina and LSU are the only teams left out.

Add in 26 none power 4 conference auto bids (27) and one has the NCAA tourney bids filled by one power 4 conference and the auto bids (total 41). That leaves 27 bids for the 3 other power 4 conference and at large bids.

Seems there is a certain amount of bias in the selection of teams which is expected. A team like West Virginia being left out and a 19-15 overall, 6-12 in SEC Texas gets in. Ohio Sate out even though they beat the beloved Whores? OU is considered a Quad 1 win for Texas even though OU is 20-13 and 6-13 in conference. Bias anyone?

[Charleston Pony]

Just feels so Conference USA…will be interesting to see the teams motivation level
and fire.

The NIT looks like the A-10 Invitational this year with that conference getting 6 of it's members into the field. Maybe not "name brands" but there are plenty of good teams in this event.

[Charleston Pony]

It's insane that 14 of 16 SEC teams made the March Madness tourney. South Carolina and LSU are the only teams left out.

Add in 26 none power 4 conference auto bids (27) and one has the NCAA tourney bids filled by one power 4 conference and the auto bids (total 41). That leaves 27 bids for the 3 other power 4 conference and at large bids.

Seems there is a certain amount of bias in the selection of teams which is expected. A team like West Virginia being left out and a 19-15 overall, 6-12 in SEC Texas gets in. Ohio Sate out even though they beat the beloved Whores? OU is considered a Quad 1 win for Texas even though OU is 20-13 and 6-13 in conference. Bias anyone?

And now there is another tournament trying to get as many "name brand" participants as possible to fill their bracket of 16 teams:

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/colle ... le-bracket

[highlander]

Wake's stated reason for opting out -- to focus on next year -- is obviously BS. Coaching staffs can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[PlanoStang]

It's insane that 14 of 16 SEC teams made the March Madness tourney. South Carolina and LSU are the only teams left out.

Add in 26 none power 4 conference auto bids (27) and one has the NCAA tourney bids filled by one power 4 conference and the auto bids (total 41). That leaves 27 bids for the 3 other power 4 conference and at large bids.

Seems there is a certain amount of bias in the selection of teams which is expected. A team like West Virginia being left out and a 19-15 overall, 6-12 in SEC Texas gets in. Ohio Sate out even though they beat the beloved Whores? OU is considered a Quad 1 win for Texas even though OU is 20-13 and 6-13 in conference. Bias anyone?

I thought selection committees were supposed to be like juries. Wouldn't surprise me if some ut alums bought some votes.

[Graceland Tar Heel]

It has essentially become a mid-major tourney, with Indiana, Ohio St, and Rutgers opting out. By 2030, or sooner, it will be no more. Why are we playing? Should we not be focusing on transfer portal matters, etc? Not sure the Turk is going to vastly improve because of this, for example.

That that is clearly happening is the best reason for expansion of the NCAA tournament.

I would expand it from this weird, silly 68 to 80. 48 teams would be set, seeded 1-48, 12 of them in each of 4 Regions. Th remaining 32 would face each other on the Home gyms of that Top 16, with the winners of those 16 games then finishing the classic 64 team tournament that plays at neutral venues.

[Graceland Tar Heel]

OK somebody clue me in: what is the advantage for Wake to decline an NIT invite? Do they think the NIT is "beneath them"?

My guess is that it is fear that somehow playing will hurt Wake on the portal. But not playing can also hurt a team on the portal.

[Graceland Tar Heel]

Has an SMU team ever gotten to Madison Square Garden in the NIT? Even in the 1990s that was something worth achieving.

Go win the NIT. Use that as a stepping stone.

[Charleston Pony]

Has an SMU team ever gotten to Madison Square Garden in the NIT? Even in the 1990s that was something worth achieving.

Go win the NIT. Use that as a stepping stone.

We beat Clemson in MSG and then lost to Minnesota in the finals back in 2014. Haven't been there since that time (when Larry Brown was our coach)

[Charleston Pony]

We don't need to be reminded it was a Missouri Valley team (Indiana State) that knocked us out of this tournament last year. Interesting to note that the coach of that Indiana State team, John Schertz, is now at St Louis (also in our side of the bracket) and 2 of his top 3 scorers came with him from ISU. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa lost to 4 of this year's NIT teams (UNT, Wichita State, St Bonaventure & UC-Irvine) but did split with Bradley in MVC play.