NIT is not a waste of time

[willyd24]

Many posters on here are already criticizing the fact that we didn't make the tournament and are saying how they aren't going to watch the NIT and that playing in it is a waste of time and an embarrassment to our program.

Many of our roleplaying guys have finally begun to step up in these last couple games including Purvis, Hamilton, and Lubin and any additional playing time that they get should be viewed as a positive.

As fans it is our job to support this team and pick them up when times get tough. Right now I'm sure every player is feeling a little down in the dumps and the best thing we can do as fans is make sure that that doesn't carry over into the NIT. By acting like the NIT doesn't mean anything we are giving the players an excuse to think the exact same way.

I can't speak for everybody on this site but I for one will be at Gampel on Wednesday night to watch my Huskies one last time against Arizona State!

 

[Ts5034]

I mean we are UConn so the NIT is absolutely a downer, but sitting out shouldnt even be a thought that runs through peoples minds. Any chance this team has to play they should take advantage of it. It will only help as far as gaining experience for next year.

 

[huskyharry]

There is a lot of tough competition in that NIT field, including Temple, who was supposed to be solidly in the NCAA tournament. Success against good competition breeds a winning character and confidence...just what this team needs...Go UCONN!

 

[Jaker]

I would be pretty disappointed if we did't go and give it 100 percent. The more experience this team gets the better.

 

[housekeys]

We played our as$ off to try and win a holiday tournament in PR, but a post season tournament with much higher degree of difficulty, is not worth the effort? If KO can not get his team to at least match the intensity a championship ( any championship ) deserves, we have bigger problems than we think. We are UConn. We will be challenged and we love trophy's.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I disagree the NIT is a waste for everyone but Lubin, and Hamilton
Having some post season experience is better than nothing.
The rest played on a NC team last year. Let that sink in.
I don't see how this team brings much enthusiasm to the NIT.
Maybe 4000-5000 fans ,who are sitting on their hands.
If your not going to be into it there is no point in playing.
That's not how you grow as a team. Go home work on your weakness and come back a better player than you were last year.
The NIT is a good tourney for some teams ,but not this team

 

[Scoe]

Its not what we want but we need to show up and fight for the good of the program. It sucks for Boatright, and yes the postseason would be helpful for all of our guys even the ones who were on last years team. No one player is above the program, and I am not ready to see Boatright take off that Uconn jersey. It would even be helpful for Ollie as he is still a young coach.

 

[housekeys]

I disagree the NIT is a waste for everyone but Lubin, and Hamilton
Having some post season experience is better than nothing.
The rest played on a NC team last year. Let that sink in.
I don't see how this team brings much enthusiasm to the NIT.
Maybe 4000-5000 fans ,who are sitting on their hands.
If your not going to be into it there is no point in playing.
That's not how you grow as a team. Go home work on your weakness and come back a better player than you were last year.
The NIT is a good tourney for some teams ,but not this team

If the NIT is a waste of time, than we should have declined the invitation. Once you accept (and we did) you don't go half-as$ed.

 

[Eskapeesto]

This isn't complicated, folks. As Purvis said, it's not where we wanted to be but as long as UCONN is on the front of the jersey we need to go all out and compete for that trophy. The least we can do as fans is back them.

 

[Scoe]

I disagree the NIT is a waste for everyone but Lubin, and Hamilton
Having some post season experience is better than nothing.
The rest played on a NC team last year. Let that sink in.
I don't see how this team brings much enthusiasm to the NIT.
Maybe 4000-5000 fans ,who are sitting on their hands.
If your not going to be into it there is no point in playing.
That's not how you grow as a team. Go home work on your weakness and come back a better player than you were last year.
The NIT is a good tourney for some teams ,but not this team

So your telling the team to quit then, thats the message your sending them.

 

[Montaleno]

I'll b at Gampel Wednesday nite!!!

 

[Deadrody]

I disagree the NIT is a waste for everyone but Lubin, and Hamilton
Having some post season experience is better than nothing.
The rest played on a NC team last year. Let that sink in.
I don't see how this team brings much enthusiasm to the NIT.
Maybe 4000-5000 fans ,who are sitting on their hands.
If your not going to be into it there is no point in playing.
That's not how you grow as a team. Go home work on your weakness and come back a better player than you were last year.
The NIT is a good tourney for some teams ,but not this team

I tend to agree. And in the situation they were in, having to win the AAC tournament to get a bid, they were ALREADY playing tournament basketball the last 4 days. Hamilton and Lubin got plenty of "post season" experience in those games.

Plus, the recent history of UConn in the NIT as a fallback for not making the NCAA has not been good. It is a major let down and I will be quite surprised if they don't like like it's a letdown. The last time a UConn team didn't really have NCAA aspirations and could "build" on the NIT was in 1997 when Rip, Rash, Ricky, KFree, and Jake went to the NIT semifinals. Every other time it has ended up a disappointment.

 

[nomar]

Ended our season with a win in:

2011
2013
2014
?

We got a streak going on here!

 

[imno1]

I love UConn BB enough to watch more games this year.

 

[3rdbass]

For a young team like this that needs to learn to develop playing together especially on the offensive side of the ball having more games are not a bad prospect even if it is the NIT. Hopefully the coaching staff is approaching this as huge stepping stone for next year!

 

[tzznandrew]

Many posters on here are already criticizing the fact that we didn't make the tournament and are saying how they aren't going to watch the NIT and that playing in it is a waste of time and an embarrassment to our program.

Many of our roleplaying guys have finally begun to step up in these last couple games including Purvis, Hamilton, and Lubin and any additional playing time that they get should be viewed as a positive.

Players who have significant post-season experience from last year's NCAAs: Boat, Brimah. Nolan. Samuel played a limited, but crucial role in some games.

Players who played significant minutes this year, without action last year: Hamilton, Purvis, Facey. Calhoun. Those guys need more experience in some games. Let's get the right dynamic between Purvis and Hamilton.

Four times UConn went from the NIT to a title contender the next year.

1993 - NIT, 1994 - 2 seed (S16). In the off-season we lost Burrell, but returned a young team and added Sheffer and Allen. Marshall developed into a monster
1997 - NIT, 1998 - 2 seed (E8). We lost Kirk King, and added Khalid. Rip developed into an AA.
2001 - NIT, 2002 - 2 seed (E8). We lost Mouring, Saunders, Wane. Added Gordon and Okafor. Butler developed into a monster.
2010 - NIT, 2011 - 3 seed (NC). We lost Dyson, Edwards, Sticks. Added Shabazz, Lamb, Scoe, Giffey. Kemba developed into a monster.

All those NIT teams played differently in the tournament. 1993, 2001, and 2010 were not particularly deep runs. It's okay.

Now we have the 2014 team losing Boat. We add a top guard. We have two players teeming with talent, and one is starting to feel it.

We all wanted to be in the NCAAs. But this is certainly not a waste.

 

[huskyjawz]

There are a lot worse things than MSG for semis.

 

[Lefty2one]

It's so sad that this is only the 8th game being played at Gampel all season.

 

[jibsey]

First games of the NIT are often more competitive than NCAA first games, if anyone remembers a torching from years ago.

 

[blkknight1]

I was just thinking about this today myself. So many people think playing in the NIT is a waste but why when UConn has usually used it as a springboard into the next season as tzznandrew pointed out we were no worse than a 3 seed in the next tourney and no worse than the sweet s16. So while it is not where we all want to be it is still a place where the guys can play together in a tourney environment against quality opponents. Plus going from the mountain top all the way down to the valley it might reinstill that Hungry Huskies mantra that they played with all last season.

 

[The Funster]

Disappointment or not, playing in the NIT is an opportunity and one that should not be taken lightly by the staff, players or fans.

 

[DALTX]

Remember UK won a NC in 2012, then faced the NIT in 2013, then were back to the Final Four in 2014.
I see a parallel with UConn. I believe we can be in Houston in April, 2016.

It's been a roller coaster year. See the colors at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014–15_Connecticut_Huskies_men's_basketball_team#Schedule

Except for that fluky court corner at Gampel, our loss streaks were no more than two games, interspersed with winning streaks of two or three. Winning in four straight days when we had to was a tough undertaking. We knocked out Cincinnati and Tulsa, and made a run at SMU (whose legs were a game fresher than ours).

"You put on a UConn jersey. If you can't get geared up, then I don't want you on my team." -- Kevin Ollie

Our road to Houston starts Wednesday.

 

[jibsey]

First games of the NIT are often more competitive than NCAA first games, if anyone remembers a torching from years ago.

Lindsey Hunter

 

[selles]

Our road to Houston starts Wednesday.

It's in Texas next year, you say? Hmm....

 

[Husky25]

Are the UConn Men playing a game? Fine. I am watching. Period.

I disagree the NIT is a waste for everyone but Lubin, and Hamilton
Having some post season experience is better than nothing.
The rest played on a NC team last year. Let that sink in.
I don't see how this team brings much enthusiasm to the NIT.
Maybe 4000-5000 fans ,who are sitting on their hands.
If your not going to be into it there is no point in playing.
That's not how you grow as a team. Go home work on your weakness and come back a better player than you were last year.
The NIT is a good tourney for some teams ,but not this team

Can't say that.

Only Boatright, Samuel, Nolan, and Brimah were significant contributors to the National Title team.

The minutes of the 5 significant departures were absorbed by two freshmen (Lubin & Hamilton), a returning - if sparing used - sophomore (Facey), two other sophomores who were not on the team (Purvis and Cassell), and a Junior who also played limited minutes and not at all down the stretch.

You want to limit Nolan and play Lubin more? I'm fine with that. You want to hold out Cassell to make sure his bones are fully healed? Great, but to suggest that the best thing for this team is to not play is Bill-Walton-level-nuts.