NCAA Tourney or NIT?

[Costa Rican Gopher]

This is a team that could really use a good run in the NIT. By the end of the year we should be playing the younger guys a lot and the extra practices/games of an NIT run are beneficial. I'm getting sick of saying this same thing so often though.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I may regret this - but I'm going to make a prediction: The Gophers will not make the NCAA or NIT tournament, and will wind up in the CBI - the 3rd-string tournament they show on AXS TV.

I hope I'm wrong, but the Gophers have got some really serious issues. I just don't think they have the horses.

 

[cjbfbp]

I may regret this - but I'm going to make a prediction: The Gophers will not make the NCAA or NIT tournament, and will wind up in the CBI - the 3rd-string tournament they show on AXS TV.

I hope I'm wrong, but the Gophers have got some really serious issues. I just don't think they have the horses.

Actually, the CBI is shown on the Universal HD station (or at least has been in the past). Kind of screws things up for those looking for House or Law and Order Criminal Intent reruns during March.

I was actually thinking the same thing. I could see this team finishing 16-16 after the Big Ten tournament and not being invited to the NIT. I still think they probably win 17 or 18 though and have a fair shot at the NIT especially since they won it last year.

After the Michigan game, I don't have much hope at all for the NCAA tournament. It's not just the record at this point; it's the eye test. The Michigan team we played today isn't that good and didn't play that well, we had a nine point lead well into the second half, and still blew it. Most other conference teams we play are not going to give us the same opportunities Michigan gave us today.

 

[jamalo]

I haven't looked at what needs to happen to reach the NIT (which would be a big letdown in a non-rebuilding year), but I am fairly confident in saying they would turn down a CBI bid. How many teams from power conferences have accepted CBI bids? I can't imagine that the number is large

 

[cjbfbp]

I haven't looked at what needs to happen to reach the NIT (which would be a big letdown in a non-rebuilding year), but I am fairly confident in saying they would turn down a CBI bid. How many teams from power conferences have accepted CBI bids? I can't imagine that the number is large

Pretty much at least one every year since it has started. Purdue was in it a couple of years ago. Usually there are 2 or 3 power conference teams in it each year. The CIT is the exclusively mid-major tournament.

 

[cjbfbp]

Ok, someone has to try to pull some positive something out of thin air. So I'll give it a try.


Nebraska is rated badly in all of the ratings, so they might be an easier win than would have been imagined going into the season.

Beating Iowa could kickstart a run of 7 straight wins.

Now I am NOT predicting anything, just saying you never know!! Realistically I'm wondering what we have to do to get into the NIT.

Nebraska will be a better team for the remainder of the year now that their two injured big men have returned.

We may beat Iowa at home but I can't see this team winning 7 consecutive Big Ten games.

 

[howeda7]

I haven't looked at what needs to happen to reach the NIT (which would be a big letdown in a non-rebuilding year), but I am fairly confident in saying they would turn down a CBI bid. How many teams from power conferences have accepted CBI bids? I can't imagine that the number is large

Unless it's changed, the CBI is a huge money suck. You have to guarantee a # of seats that no one can sell, so you basically pay a huge amount to play a few extra, meaningless games. I'd be shocked if they accepted a bid.

 

[Dano564]

This team is toast.
They'll get 5 - 7 Big Ten wins, and we'll have to be happy with that.
Maybe a mini-run during the BTT for excitement.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

Well, 11-2 ooc, plus 5-13 in conf and 1-1 in the BTT would get us to 17-16. We could technically go to the NIT if they invited us.


5 of our next 7 games are home games. Granted we might not beat Iowa even at home? But PSU is a road game we could win?

That is 5 wins right there even with a loss to Iowa.


And we have home games vs NW and PSU after that.


I don't see how getting 7 wins should be that difficult? That would put us at 19-14 going 1-1 in the BTT. That is easily an NIT invite.


And in the past few seasons I remember teams struggling out of the gate and making runs later in the conf season. Didn't Nebraska do that last year, and the Illini 2 seasons ago? I'm not saying its going to happen, just hoping I guess.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Well, 11-2 ooc, plus 5-13 in conf and 1-1 in the BTT would get us to 17-16. We could technically go to the NIT if they invited us.


5 of our next 7 games are home games. Granted we might not beat Iowa even at home? But PSU is a road game we could win?

That is 5 wins right there even with a loss to Iowa.


And we have home games vs NW and PSU after that.


I don't see how getting 7 wins should be that difficult? That would put us at 19-14 going 1-1 in the BTT. That is easily an NIT invite.


And in the past few seasons I remember teams struggling out of the gate and making runs later in the conf season. Didn't Nebraska do that last year, and the Illini 2 seasons ago? I'm not saying its going to happen, just hoping I guess.

Getting 1 win has proved to be pretty difficult, let alone 7. We are on the verge of a meltdown. If they don't beat Iowa, I can see this team going into free fall.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Tuesday night is one night I'll be really interested to see how the crowd responds to Gophers. If there's still some belief in this team, the crowd will be ready to rock n roll just like OSU. If the belief is gone, I suspect the crowd might sit on its hands a little bit and perhaps even hear some booing if there's a slow start. Gophers have to give people reason to believe they can turn this mess around, and soon.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

Getting 1 win has proved to be pretty difficult, let alone 7. We are on the verge of a meltdown. If they don't beat Iowa, I can see this team going into free fall.

Yeah, but 3 of those 4 games were ROAD games. This is the B1G conf where it has never been easy to win on the Road, especially vs Top Ten Maryland, Michigan and even Purdue. It's always been tough to win at Purdue.

Even with a loss to Iowa, and being 0-5, we could literally still knock off 6 wins in a row after that as long as the team psyche isn't broken, which it may be, but we just have to hope.

Winning 6 in a row could change alot of things? I just don't believe in giving up hope until there is not hope left to be had.

 

[scools12]

Getting 1 win has proved to be pretty difficult, let alone 7. We are on the verge of a meltdown. If they don't beat Iowa, I can see this team going into free fall.

I am expecting an ugly performance by the Gophers and losing to Iowa.

I think that will be the bottom and the team finds a way to go 6-7 or 7-6 the rest of the way.

 

[golfing18now]

The schedule is one of the biggest reasons for the start. This team will win seven of their next ten games to get back to 0.500 in conference.

 

[cjbfbp]

Even with a loss to Iowa, and being 0-5, we could literally still knock off 6 wins in a row after that as long as the team psyche isn't broken, which it may be, but we just have to hope.

Winning 6 in a row could change alot of things? I just don't believe in giving up hope until there is not hope left to be had.

Fair enough. Don't give up hope. But I'll believe this team can win 6 Big Ten games in a row when I see it. If I had to take a guess, I would rate their prospects as closer to last year's Illinois team than last year's Nebraska team. Illinois started pretty well but lost 8 Big Ten games in a row and then rebounded with some strong performances at the tail end of the season. Our run would likely be in the middle of the season. Illinois went to the NIT but finished only 1-1 in that tournament.

 

[cjbfbp]

The schedule is one of the biggest reasons for the start. This team will win seven of their next ten games to get back to 0.500 in conference.

That's certainly possible, but if they lose 3 of their last 4 (a very good possibility as well), they end up in the same place as last year. I'll say one thing about this team. At least they lowered my expectations at the beginning of the season so I won't have my hopes crushed with each successive loss during the last half of the conference season.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Yeah, but 3 of those 4 games were ROAD games. This is the B1G conf where it has never been easy to win on the Road, especially vs Top Ten Maryland, Michigan and even Purdue. It's always been tough to win at Purdue.

Even with a loss to Iowa, and being 0-5, we could literally still knock off 6 wins in a row after that as long as the team psyche isn't broken, which it may be, but we just have to hope.

Winning 6 in a row could change alot of things? I just don't believe in giving up hope until there is not hope left to be had.

I just went back to the 2001-2002 season and we haven't ever won six games conference games in a row since then.

We won 5 games in a row once in 2004-2005.

We aren't winning 6 in a row. We might win 3 in a row.

 

[SelectionSunday]

How many of these next 7 will Gophers win?

I'll go with 5, but even that might be generous.

 

[upnorthkid]

I just went back to the 2001-2002 season and we haven't ever won six games conference games in a row since then.

We won 5 games in a row once in 2004-2005.

We aren't winning 6 in a row. We might win 3 in a row.

I would have to imagine the schedule has not lined up this nicely very often though

 

[cjbfbp]

I would have to imagine the schedule has not lined up this nicely very often though

This part of the schedule may look good but it doesn't look quite as good as it did a couple of weeks ago. Nebraska doesn't have the same serious depth issues it had in nonconference since two of its primary big men have returned to the lineup. I don't count Penn State on the road as a gimme with this team either.