Conference tournament losses catapult otherwise deserving NCAA clubs into the NIT.
I can’t remember it happening before–so many high-flying mid-majors (and conference regular-season champs) losing in conference tournaments. The outcome? There are many more good mid-majors than slots available in the NCAA D-1 Tournament.
That’s because many top seeds were knocked off in lower mid-major conference tournaments. CBS Sports Network reported that only four top seeds won twelve conference tournaments.
At least there’s a consolation prize for these teams. NIT bids await teams that won the regular season championship but lost in the conference tournament.
Here are teams that seem NIT-bound, presented in order of my interest level, updated after NIT bids were issued.
South Dakota State (24-8). The Jacks were bounced out in the first round of the Summit League tournament by bottom-dweller Western Illinois (10-21). Despite having a great record and winning the regular-season conference title, SDSU was only 10-6 out-of-conference. That’s a no-go for NCAA selection. Pencil in State for the NIT.
Furman (25-7). The Paladins started the season hot, faded a bit, and then had trouble keeping pace in the competitive Southern Conference. Furman finished 3rd in the regular season (13-5) behind UNC Greensboro (28-6) and 29-4 Wofford (a team that’s on a 20-game winning streak).
If the Selection Committee takes a second SoCon team, I think it will be UNCG, not Furman because UNCG played Wofford in the Southern tournament final.
Hofstra (27-7). Hofstra will get the Colonial’s automatic bid to the NIT. It’s a shame, too. How so? The Pride is good enough to have shocked a ‘big boy’ in the NCAAs. Instead, Northeastern (23-10) will have that chance. The Huskies surprised the Pride in the conference tournament final.
Lipscomb (25-7). Atlantic Sun newcomer, Liberty (25-6), beat Lipscomb in the tourney final to get its ticket punched to the NCAA’s. It was a ‘pick ‘em’ game between the class of a weak league.
Even though Bilas ranks Lipscomb #61, I can’t imagine the Selection Committee picking two teams from a low-ranking conference.
SUNY Stony Brook (24-8). The Seawolves lost a chance at the NCAA via the same path as SDSU—losing to an awful team in the first round of its conference tournament (the America East). In SUNY-SB’s case, that team was pitiful SUNY Binghamton (10-23). The loss meant that the Seawolves didn’t get a chance to upset perennial power Vermont and advance to The Dance. Now the question is whether this 2nd place regular-season finisher will even get an NIT bid. I fear that SUNY SB will be passed over by a weaker (but bigger name) Power 6 team. (THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED.)
Wright State (21-13). The same fate might have befallen WSU had it not tied Northern Kentucky for the regular-season Horizon League title. NKU won the conference tournament, beating the Raiders in the final. NKU goes to the NCAA’s, and WSU will receive an automatic bid from the NIT.
Drake (24-9). The Missouri Valley yielded a surprise last year when Loyola motored to the Final Four. This year the MVC surprised again—but in a different way.
Two conference also-rans—Bradley (20-14) and Northern Iowa (16-18)—battled it out for the NCAA tournament bid (Bradley won). Meanwhile, two teams at the very top of the standings—Loyola and Drake (both 12-6 in the conference)—watched from the sidelines.
Texas State (23-8). There’s still a possibility that TSU could make the NCAA’s. But if TSU doesn’t win the Sun Belt tournament, then I like the Bobcats for the NIT–unless TSU loses in an early round. If that happens, then the only other Sun Belt team worth talking about is Georgia State. (GEORGIA STATE WENT TO THE NCAA’S. TSU DIDN’T GET AN NIT INVITATION.)
Utah Valley (23-8). UVU and New Mexico State are the only teams of merit in the sad-sack WAC (Western Athletic Conference).
I expect the Aggies to cop the league’s NCAA bid. If that happens, then there’s a good chance UVU will go to the NIT.
Well, that’s my list. It’s good for men’s college basketball when so many lower mid-majors excel. It’s just too bad that more of them can’t play in the NCAA D-1 championship.
