Jump to content

NIT vs. NCAA


bUAkronG

Recommended Posts

With Can't's success in the NIT making it to the quarterfinals, I figured I'd throw the question out there.

Would you rather make it to the NCAA Tournament and lose in the first round or win multiple games in the NIT?

For me, I'd rather make it to the Big Dance. But I could easily see the other side of the argument. The NIT still gets play on ESPN(Saturday's #1 play was from the NIT) and you might get to watch your team on their home court(depending on seeding). But when it comes down to it, Can't is still playing basketball right now while our team is done.

This discussion is strictly about NCAA losses vs. NIT wins, not the CBI or CIT.

Thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Making the NCAA field is much tougher of an accomplishment.

The rub on the NCAA is getting slapped with a fifteen seed and having to play a two seed

in their backyard where the two seed has a huge local following. Akron was one of several

lower seeds that suffered this cruel fate.

Eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen seeds often can advance because their big name

opponent is disinterested and sometimes simply "folds the tent". Not so for fifteen and

sixteen seeds who are just cannon fodder for one and two seeds. Teams that have a

legitimate shot at the National Championship.

On the other hand, advancing in the NIT is a lot easier as your opponents are often name

teams that had an off year. The Thugs are advancing from a horrible seventh seed much

to their credit.

If my team is young, I would prefer to go the NIT route. If my team is senior laden, then

I want a shot at the NCAAs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think both the NCAA and NIT are better than either the CBI or CIT. Between the CBI and CIT I believe the CIT has a better format.

right, that's why I was wondering between the NCAA & NIT.

This seems to be a topic every year at this time, use the search button to read a lot of opinion on it.

My answer is still the same, I want to dance, every year, you never know when things fall your way.

My apologies, I didn't realize this was a common yearly topic.

Mods can close/delete/whatever needs to happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess I'll always want to analyze this the same way.....which situation gives Akron more publicity?

Right now, I think it's undoubtedly being an entrant in the Big Dance. Maybe if I saw a MAC team in the semis or finals of the NIT, and I saw them getting alot of attention, I might change my mind.

There's also one other VERY important point here. If we are in the NIT, that means we didn't win the conference title. And I would never trade a conference title for a chance to possibly be a strong team in the NIT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The NCAA tournament. Hands down. It's not even close.

The NIT is a nice consolation prize, but it's still just a tournament of also-rans. It doesn't get your name mentioned to hundreds of millions of people, not all of whom follow college sports, who are filling out their brackets.

When you're recruiting players, what would you rather say: that you made it to the NIT Elite Eight or that you made it to the NCAA Tournament?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hypothesis here is whether you would prefer going to the NCAA knowing you're going to lose in the first round versus going to the NIT knowing you're going to at least reach the quarterfinals.

As long as this is purely speculative, I'd want to take the speculation a step further with two different options that create two different responses from me:

Would you prefer going to the NCAA knowing in advance that you're going to lose in a big, embarassing blowout in the first round that has national sports columnists questioning how a team this weak could ever get into the tournament, or the NIT knowing that you're going to beat at least a couple of fairly strong teams in impressive fashion? I'll take the NIT in this case.

Would you prefer going to the NCAA knowing in advance that you're going to lose in a tightly contested game in the first round that has national sports columnists crediting your team for playing a tough game against a tough opponent, or the NIT knowing that you're going to beat at least a couple of teams regardless of the opponents' strength or margins of victory? I'll take the NCAA in this case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think both the NCAA and NIT are better than either the CBI or CIT. Between the CBI and CIT I believe the CIT has a better format.

I agree either NCAA or NIT is better than CBI or CIT. I disagree though that CIT format is better than the CBI. In the CIT you are at the whim of tourney organizers who basically decide each round who plays who. This resulted in a MAC matchup in the CIT quarterfinals with WMU and Buffalo. I would always prefer a tournamnet with a bracket. In fact, I would prefer one with a bracket and an impartial system of determining who is home and who is away. At least the NIT has known seeding which determines who is where. I always seem to disagree with their seeding order but its still better than just always giving the larger school the home court advantage.

Another plus for the CBI over CIT is that the final is a best of 3 series, this guarantees both participants a home game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The NIT is a nice consolation prize, but it's still just a tournament of also-rans. It doesn't get your name mentioned to hundreds of millions of people, not all of whom follow college sports, who are filling out their brackets.

Including the Charlie Sheen's, President Obama's, etc. that get your name out there to non sports fans..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hypothesis here is whether you would prefer going to the NCAA knowing you're going to lose in the first round versus going to the NIT knowing you're going to at least reach the quarterfinals.

As long as this is purely speculative, I'd want to take the speculation a step further with two different options that create two different responses from me:

Would you prefer going to the NCAA knowing in advance that you're going to lose in a big, embarassing blowout in the first round that has national sports columnists questioning how a team this weak could ever get into the tournament, or the NIT knowing that you're going to beat at least a couple of fairly strong teams in impressive fashion? I'll take the NIT in this case.

Would you prefer going to the NCAA knowing in advance that you're going to lose in a tightly contested game in the first round that has national sports columnists crediting your team for playing a tough game against a tough opponent, or the NIT knowing that you're going to beat at least a couple of teams regardless of the opponents' strength or margins of victory? I'll take the NCAA in this case.

Well, as usual, DiGger (not to confuse him with the blowhard of the same name on ESPN) has come up with the crux of the question. The problem not mentioned -- and the reason why I hate the NCAA tournament is that it is set up to advantage the Enormous State Universities (and their rich private brothers) at the expense of the so-called mid-majors. Yes, of course there are always the Butlers, VCUs and George Masons (though look at what happened to THEM at the hands of THE Enormous State University yesterday) which serve the interests of the bullies -- who can then say "look, the little guy has just as much chance to triumph as the Big Guy" (just as having one Dennis Kucinich in Congress benefits the ideological interests of the corporate-controlled state).

This is the same argument that we have in American football with the question of whether UA benefits from being in the same division (Bowl Subdivision) as the schools that get all the attention (frankly, playing one game as a 15 seed is equivalent to being the underdog in the International/Motor City/Papa Johns's Pizza -- you choose, Bowl to Indiana or Northwestern). Well, if you are interested in standing in their reflected sunlight and thinking the world is looking at you, then the answer is "Yes", we're better off there. But, if you think we're better off competing on a more level playing field, be it the Football Championship Subdivision or the NIT, and having a serious chance to compete and advance in the tournament, then that is the better place to be. I personally have no interest in being part of "Big Time College Athletics", because that is an institution that makes a farce of REAL college athletics and amateurism in general.

And I happen to like this thread. no matter how :horse: it is. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NCAA tourney. No question. More challenging, more publicity, bigger stage, and better recruiting tool.

And we beat Can't to get to the tourney! I love all their fans saying that they'd rather be deep in the NIT than have a first round loss. Do you really think they would be saying that if they had beaten us? :champs::screwks:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NCAA tourney. No question. More challenging, more publicity, bigger stage, and better recruiting tool.

And we beat Can't to get to the tourney! I love all their fans saying that they'd rather be deep in the NIT than have a first round loss. Do you really think they would be saying that if they had beaten us? :champs::screwks:

Funny. So, they think that winning the MAC regular season, but losing the MAC tournament puts them in a better position? Wow. That's something to strive for. They can start laying down in the tournament, if they'd like. Fine with me.

They're not fooling anyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...