Yeah I'm with Coach Crean on this one, some of these young men may never play again, they won't get to the NBA or overseas, sad that competition is dying in the world...
Tom Crean is a grown man's coach. He had Marquette doing incredible things in Conference USA back in the D-Wade, Travis Diener, Robert Jackson, Novak days. Playing in the NIT used to be an honor. Everybody in the 30s and 40s considered the NIT the real championship tournament.
Gotta agree with Coach Crean. Schools are robbing their players of the chance to improve. Game experience is much more valuable than any practice or scrimmage. If you want to improve your team and your individual players you play as many games as you possibly can.
@@doc8013 Yep. The best team Kentucky ever had (25-0 and just go look at some of the scores) opted out of the NCAA Tournament because their best 3 players were graduate students and thus ineligible to play in the tournament at the time.
Especially the Big East teams that were on the bubble. I'm surprised that the Big East got only 3 teams in while the Mountain West got 6, and that Indiana State didn't get in.
The Big East cannibalized itself unfortunately. While the Mountain West had a great non conference schedule against big name teams. Indiana State lost the all important Quad 1 with a 1-5 record so that makes their strength of schedule a wash. Hope that was helpful
@BallCDO The bulk of team's schedule is the league schedule. The Ivy League isn't even a top 10 one. So league wins have no meaning. Compared from a top to bottom like Big12, SEC, B1G10 etc. So they're expected to win the conference tournament as well if you win the regular season. If you lose a weak conference tournament. You're not getting in. Compared to a North Carolina who lost to a weak NC ST.
You do? Based on what evidence? How do you know the admin or AD doesn’t make the choice? Or the coach? I agree the coaches and players should come together and decide, but I don’t know if that actually happens.
I’d be hard press to believe a coach say that their players did not want to play and so we’re not going. I’m with Crean on this one: basketball does not have the physicality of football and at most 5 players on the team will even sniff the pros- whether it’s the NBA, Euroleague, PBA, ABA, G-league, etc. For many of the players, college is their last ride of organized non-rec league sports. 1-3 or 4, or even none are going to the next level so let’s continue playing the game we love as long as we can. Most importantly, they’re kids and have just come an emotional letdown that it’s being left out of the tourney. The coach has to be the grown up in the room with a cooler head and say “we, the team, are playing”. Give them a few days to regroup and most of them will realize this could be it and the competitive fire will reignite. And if there are starters who still refuse to play, God bless you, you’re still traveling with the team and it’s next man up to take that starting spot opportunity.
Actually you would be surprised how many players look down on NIT today. Especially these AAU players. NIT is a waste of time to them. I believe that most coaches leave it to their team to see if they want to play in the NIT or not
I agree the coach should give the players the choice if they want to play or not. If I was a player I would want to still play 1. To get better as a player, 2. To extend my season I may never get to play again, 3. Its an honor to play in the National Invitation Tournament it use to be higher to play in the N.I.T. than the NCAA tournament.
@jordanalexander5275 that would be rediculous if it were true. His final year iu actually played in the NIT and lost to Georgia tech in the first round. Maybe you are thinking of someone else.
NIL money is key right now and them kids made there money and now there ready to move on and to be honest it's no different that opting out bowl games.
That is true and that's ok. I'm shocked Memphis opted out. Their program, in my opinion, found its footing a few years back when they played in and won the NIT. It's still a nationally recognized tournament.
You get to play in a win or go home environment and get some experience. Or some kid may have some highlight play to boost his NIL. There could be something that we’re all missing but at face value they’re missing an opportunity. There still is some merit to winning the tourney as well. You’re one of only three teams to end the year on a win.
I see people posting about letting players VOTE on it. What? This is the problem. Thats like letting prison inmates vote on what food they want. Players....and inmates, should be treated the same in this context. The warden TELLS them what they are gonna eat. And similarly, the coach TELLS them they are gonna play. Its that simple.
The NCAA tournament committee is telling you your TEAM wasn't GOOD enough to play with the BIG boys YET , so in the mean while, so go get some practice in the NIT, and try again NEXT year.😂
I would have thought ISU was going to opt out. So I guess it does not change the amount of teams in the bracket they just have to find a replacement for the opt outs.
To add insults to injury, this is the same issue with college football. I know players are trying to protect their bodies in order to make to the pros, but what Tom Crean said is spot on.
@@wildmouse5888 I understand why kids opted out for football remember what happened this past year with FSU QB snap his leg. Football is way different then basketball u have a higher chance of injury.
@@bladeneo7420 This is why the NFL makes players stay in college for 3 years. They want the weak to weed themselves out before they get on the payroll. Is it cynical? Sure! It is also good business.
The fact is, the PLAYERS don't want to play, as many of them are already eyeing the Transfer Portal. If some of these schools' A.D.s had accepted a bid, the team likely would have had 6 ro 7 scholarship players available ...
Tom Crean makes a good point. This is some of these guys last chance playing collegiate basketball. Some of these guys aren't going to the NBA. So for one last hurrah, let him go out on their own terms. But coaches that don't get select it for the NCAA tournament, like Rick Pitino for example get all in a hissy fit and decline. Stop being big babies coaches. 😕
Those coaches should be fired. Not only for how they coached this year, but how they handled the NIT. They did a disservice to every person on that roster.
I disagree with they should be fired, they coached their teams to be in a position to make the ncaa tournament and for whatever reason the committee chose to leave them out. They out their teams in a position to make it and got hosed. With that clear, I do want the players to have a chance to play even if it’s in a lesser tournament that was not the goal.
It's a shame when options don't matter! It's about 600 players in the league! Everybody can't make it. There's g league there's overseas. They have options. The sensitivity in the world is sickening.
Personal brands > team or school. NIL > championships. Thanks to the NCAA for instilling these values, which will serve these young men and women well when applying for a job, leading a community or acting as an informed citizen. #CollegeSports
Here we go with this nonsense again. If the players don't want to play then so be it. Folks complaining like usual over college players choosing not to risk injury playing for nothing. Get over it.
If the fans really decide to "get over it" there won't be any NIL money or any athletic scholarships. Then what will these one-dimensional young men do? Sling dope on the corner?
Rick Pitino u complain public that your team not good enough. They have a chance to get better. But u decline cuz its about you reputation as a coach.. Pitt. You decline a chance for Ish, Bub and JLowe to get better as a three guard young group.Lame. Coaches dont even want to coach anymore why..transfer portal. I dont wanna waste time to develop them anymore i will wait by the transfer portal door and get someone whom i perceive is better. Never mind development of inhouse talent.. this is sorry. Hoopers wanna hoop. NIT,NCAA. Mens league rec ball. Anywhere let them play..
Why play and risk bring injured for a consolation tourneyment, especially if you plan to transfer or if the coach plans on rebuilding the team in the portal? This aint the old days when rosters were fluid. If you got enough players that wanna play, sure. But if not, start planning for next season.
"OLD MAN YELLS AT BASKETBALL" The NIT is a joke, they don't even take regular season conference champs any more, good mid major teams bounced for crappy 'Big 6' teams. And its all based on NET rating, not actual performance on the court - wins/loses.
I'm with you on the way they select teams. I'd much rather see a mid-major that is good than just giving a bunch of mediocre power conference teams a chance anyway.
There are over 350 schools that play D1 basketball. In all but about 8 conferences there's only one bid to the the Big Dance. I'd say the NIT serves its purpose just fine - even counting all of the NIT participants less than one third of teams are in the postseason. That's a lower percentage than all the major pro leagues.
Would winning the NIT have saved Coach Howard’s Job at UM? Being the 69th best team if you win out? NIT is no longer at Madison Square Garden, even less incentive for St. John’s to attend.
That is modern college sports, everything is a business decision, some people tend to forget only a very small percentage of college athletes get to go pro.
That's rich Tom, you remember your last year at IU? You turned down the NIT against the wishes of the school, the team, the fans, because you thought we were below it. So full of it crean
It doesn't make sense, and it doesn't make dollars. Don't those schools get income from playing? People don't turn down work unless they're already rich.
Most coaches leave it to the team to play in the NIT or not. Most of these AAU players don’t want to waste their time in NIT. And no, this is nothing like college football bowl games where a football team can handle a few players opting out of a bowl game. There’s only 15 or so players on a basketball team, remember?
@@doc8013 if you see different instances of Tom crean he resembles Tom Arnold . Imagine Tom Arnold walking up and down the court the would resemble Tom crean
I'm for playing. But with big name schools opting out, plus Micah Handlogten's injury in the SEC title game, it's time to start paying these kids for the postseason. This proposal will definitely save the NIT. And, I'll go here and take it further: You better start thinking about paying players for the NCAA. A lottery prospect from a lower-seeded Tournament squad (particularly a major program that's low-seeded) will measure his chances of getting to the Final Four versus being drafted in the NBA. Don't laugh! That's a real thought!
1980 teams were represented by every conference in college. Today NCAA draft has zero prospects that would challenge LeBron James. Len, Bias, Dominique Wilkins, John Stockton, Mark Price, Rolando Blackmon, Eric Floyd,
Uhm... what's worse... an overnight player? Or... an unwillingness to succumb to one's own position? Thanks btw... READ BETWEEN THE LINE. THE BRIDGE IS OVER. I LOVE WINNING THIS GAME.
