Shama: Gophers may be in pre-season NIT in 2014

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

"There’s talk the Gophers will be announced as one of the teams playing in the 2014 Preseason NIT Tournament. Sports Headliners reported recently the Gophers will participate in the 2013 Maui Invitational, and it’s known Minnesota will play in the 2012 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas. Teams at the Atlantis tourney will include Duke and Louisville."

Go Gophers!!

 

[BOUNDOUTPASSDUNK]

Excellent News! High profile tourneys that can be sold to recruits that we are on the national stage. Come on Tubby detractors, do you think Tubby may have just a little to do with those invitations?

 

[Rouser]

Every year the Gophers are in a top tournament. This year was the worst of them, but compared to years gone by, its still decent. From Puerto Rico to Atlantis to Maui to Pre Season NIT, Tubby has us playing in some top events. If he can ever keep the roster from turning over and perhaps get a smidge of good luck (we are do), the team might have some fun tune up events in the near future.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I could be wrong but the preseason NIT is only high profile if you get to the Final 4 at MSG. The first couple rounds will be at Williams against low profile schools.

The Maui Invitational is where it's at....

 

[zambam]

I could be wrong but the preseason NIT is only high profile if you get to the Final 4 at MSG. The first couple rounds will be at Williams against low profile schools.

The Maui Invitational is where it's at....

Maui 2013. Next year Atlantis will have a pretty solid field.

 

[bemidjigopher]

round 1 is usually a cream puff in the preseason NIT, but depending on where you end up in the bracket round 2 can offer an intriging matchup, if I remember correctly when we had Humphries we beat UMKC at home and then went on the road to face a ranked Utah team

 

[Rouser]

Next year's Atlantis field may be stronger than the Maui in 2013 (Louisville and Duke among others).

 

[SelectionSunday]

The NIT Season Tip-Off has lost some of its luster because of the Maui and then the advent of tournaments like the Puerto Rico, Old Spice & Anaheim 76 Classic, but it's still a good tournament as long as (Art pointed out) you get to Madison Square Garden (Final 4).

What I like about is it's a true 16-team tournament (the winners advance & the losers are eliminated, unlike some of the bogus tournaments like the CBE, Coaches vs. Cancer & Legends where the Final 4 are predetermined), and presumably the Gophers will get a pair of home games because they'll be one of the four teams seeded to make it to New York. Generally speaking, I'd expect the Gophers first game in the NIT to be a cupcake, the second (quarterfinals) a decent opponent.