ST Johns declines NIT bid

[willie99]

LOL. And teams that want to play, small conference regular season champs, didn’t get bids because the NCAA reserved them for Major conference teams. Screw Pitt, st Johns Indiana and Ole Miss. I hope the NCAA remembers the snub next time they are on the bubble.

It's the committee that deserves all the ridicule thrown their way. For their omissions, for the balancing and for their brackets

They suck at their jobs

But as a fan, I would want my team to play on. It can only help

Maybe teams are losing money when they play in the NIT, I wonder

 

[Purple Stein]

If I were a player, this would absolutely piss me the hell off. I would want a chance to keep playing in March with a chance to at least win something. Also it's a chance for players to continue to develop and give a big middle finger to the selection committee by winning the whole thing.

For real. I can't imagine the kids don't want to put the uniform on again and play in a tournament. And as a fan I'd want to keep watching my team play.

I'd be bummed if a UConn team got an NIT bid and said "no thanks."

 

[Hi-Low]

If I were a player, this would absolutely piss me the hell off. I would want a chance to keep playing in March with a chance to at least win something. Also it's a chance for players to continue to develop and give a big middle finger to the selection committee by winning the whole thing.

5 of their 6 top players are seniors and I'm sure have zero interest in NIT. They transfered to St. Johns with Pitino to make the NCAA.

 

[Scoe]

Except for Luis all main players are seniors and I'm sure have zero interest in NIT. They transfered to St. Johns because they expceted with Pitino would make NCAA.

As opposed to what not playing? You have a chance to make a name for yourself at the start of an era with Pitino, you think Hurley turns down an NIT bid in 2020 and screws over Christian Vitale.

 

[Kolumbo]

That works with a young team that is all coming back, not a team of 5th year mercenaries.

Perhaps. Chris Smith and Rod Sellers were freshmen in 1988-1989 but I don't know if the NIT had anything to do with that. Lot's of good points in this thread though. The entire landscape has changed. I think SJU should still play. With all the seniors they have, the fans would have a lot of fun and Pitino has stressed the need to bring the fans back. Jenkins just dropped 27 on UConn!

 

[slepers]

I think he reacted out of emotion from the NCAA tournament snub, no other explanation

I would think he asked for player’s opinion

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That works with a young team that is all coming back, not a team of 5th year mercenaries.

Exactly. He didn't want to pay his players overtime wages.

 

[Zissou]

In 2024 turning down the NIT makes sense

 

[uconn_jack]

Pitino is done with this current team...he's out for revenge and on to the portal. Hide the UConn player phones & block calls from Pitino cell#

His team probably mostly didn't care about NIT either...would have been an early exit.

I don't think anybody our team would consider jumping ship to Pitino after Nahiem's cautionary tale. He may have done us a favor in general making anyone on our team think twice about transferring anywhere.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Pitino really hates his kids. Instead of letting them play on, he'll just let them all go to the portal.

He probably thinks they don't deserve to play.

St. John’s says no to NIT after March Madness 2024 snub

The Johnnies are taking their ball and going home.

nypost.com

Slap inthe face to his own team, what the is he thinking?

 

[Jimdish255]

So stupid for Pitino to do this. He’s trying to build the program back up. Take the extra games and swallow your pride. Calhoun should tell them about 1988.

It's not 1988 and St. Johns has already done that.

 

[UConnJim]

You leave it up to your team. My guess is that the St. John's players didn't want to play in the NIT. What makes this tough is that Butler's Hinckle Fieldhouse is the host of the semis and finals so it's kind of a black eye to the Big East. If the NIT semis and finals were at MSG, I would think St. John's would be willing to play.

All that said, the portal opens tomorrow and there will be a lot of action for St. John's. It's kind of dumb for the portal to open tomorrow given we are in March Madness. The players are going to finish their semesters so why doesn't the portal open after the championship?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I actually like it. Middle finger to selection committee. I hope Hall and PC do the same.

 

[auror]

A lot of power conference teams are gonna do this. Jump start on the portal. Can't say I disagree in today's landscape.

A consolation tournament happening concurrently with free agency cannot exist. You have to dump the NIT or move the portal date. I lean towards the latter.

 

[Hondo 77]

In 2024 turning down the NIT makes sense

Sadly yes. The NIT died when the NCAA went from 32 to 64.

 

[gsmooth]

A consolation tournament happening concurrently with free agency cannot exist. You have to dump the NIT or move the portal date. I lean towards the latter.

This is it 100%. The portal date should be moved until after the NCAA tournament. You don't see the NFL and NBA have their big offseason signing of free agents when their playoffs start. How dumb would that be? Those 2 leagues know you have to keep the attention and media shine on the playoffs. The NCAA should follow suit.

If the NCAA keeps the portal opening a day after Selection Sunday, then accepting an NIT bid is just sacrificing getting an early start on the portal recruiting ahead of the teams in the NCAA tournament.

 

[auror]

This is it 100%. The portal date should be moved until after the NCAA tournament. You don't see the NFL and NBA have their big offseason signing of free agents when their playoffs start. How dumb would that be? Those 2 leagues know you have to keep the attention and media shine on the playoffs. The NCAA should follow suit.

If the NCAA keeps the portal opening a day after Selection Sunday, then accepting an NIT bid is just sacrificing getting an early start on the portal recruiting ahead of the teams in the NCAA tournament.

And your players don't want to play meaningless games, they want to start talking to other schools and their collectives and reps too.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

man up and play in the tournament coward

What seed is Cincinnati?

 

[gsmooth]

You leave it up to your team. My guess is that the St. John's players didn't want to play in the NIT. What makes this tough is that Butler's Hinckle Fieldhouse is the host of the semis and finals so it's kind of a black eye to the Big East. If the NIT semis and finals were at MSG, I would think St. John's would be willing to play.

All that said, the portal opens tomorrow and there will be a lot of action for St. John's. It's kind of dumb for the portal to open tomorrow given we are in March Madness. The players are going to finish their semesters so why doesn't the portal open after the championship?

I think this is correct. I always hate when analysts say "the other team wanted it more and that's why they won this postseason game or title game". It's such BS.
For the NIT however, you don't think about personnel match ups, strategic Xs and Os and styles of the team etc. The first thing to consider when trying to predict an NIT winner before any of the other factors is, who actually wants to be there in the NIT? You don't believe me? When teams from the Power 6 who had their bubble burst play meaningful home regular season games to sold out crowds with the crowds roaring are now playing in the NIT in front of only 25% of the capacity at best (a lot of cases it's even less) you can tell the motivation is not there. How? Watch if they even get into their defensive stances. Watch if they hustle back on defense or even offense for that matter.

 

[kobe]

What seed is Cincinnati?

2 seed in the vaunted right side bracket.

so many epic matchups actually in this first round.

the nit's demise was greatly exaggerated.

 

[ninety-nine]

I actually like it. Middle finger to selection committee. I hope Hall and PC do the same.

I just checked the NIT bracket, and all of the eligible Big East teams except St. John's accepted invites, including PC and the Hall (also Nova, Butler, Xavier).

 

[Kolumbo]

I would think he asked for player’s opinion

You would think so, but I doubt it. The seniors, I'll bet they want to keep playing regardless of the tournament. I don't think Pitino gives a redman ass about what his kids think. As others posted, he just wants to go portaling asap.

And as ninety-nine ^ just posted, the other BE teams are participating. Shame on Pitino.

 

[Kolumbo]

2 seed in the vaunted right side bracket.

so many epic matchups actually in this first round.

the nit's demise was greatly exaggerated.

Congratulations and condolences.

 

[Northbound]

Good for them.

Why bother you’re not building anything for next year where extra games might help you. Because coaches have no idea who is or is not coming back.

Wave the finger in the air to the whole thing.

 

[whosurdaddy2720]

Not surprised at all.

The NIT is the basketball version of non-playoff bowl games in football. They just don’t matter anymore.