Depends on how you got into each tournament.
In retrospect, surely a winning NIT run would be preferable to a play-in game loss. If a genie told me those were my only 2 choices and I had to pick one, I'd pick the NIT championship. But since things don't work like that, I'd rather make the NCAA tournament than the NIT, even though, if a team is on the bubble, it has a much better chance of winning the NIT than it does of winning 2+ games in the NCAAs.
Some time during their losing streak (before the BET), I was startled to hear Steele rather casually express his frustration like, “I just can't get these guys to play how I want them to." It was very unguarded and telling, and they showed up that way until the NIT.
Depends on who you are. Among the NOOB, UConn, Villanova, maybe Marquettethe NIT means the season was a fail. Seton Hall, Providence, it is a great accomplishment. DePaul it is a miracle.
Are you sure your take still applies to Providence? I know we love to hate them, which to me actually signifies we see them as a rival, at some level, but, over the last 9 seasons, Cooley has taken them to the dance 6 times, and would have been 7 if 2020 tournament was not canceled. I’m sure their fans are at the point where the NIT is a letdown. I’m sure it was for Xavier as well. But, when you win, you celebrate. But I’d rather get to the Dance and lose 8 days of the week.
Well, in those days the NCAA was only a contest to see who would lose to UCLA.
Maybe. But “those days” actually preceded the arrival of John Wooden.
