NIT Selections, how they were made

[slu72]

Phone rings in committee room:

Committee member(CM): "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "This is Roy Williams, HC UN--"

interupted by CM's excited squealing voice

CM: "You're in! Can I have your autograph for my son?"

listens

CM: "Thanks, God... uh... I mean Mr. Williams. Sorry about your season, but believe me we are thrilled to have the Heels. Bye now and thanks so much."

Hangs up and turns to committee with a joyful smile.

CM: "Drop St. Louis down one. We got the friggin' heels!"

Wild applause around the table. Phone Rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "Hey, this is Coach Knight, if you jerkoffs don't select my son and his team, I'm coming up there to choke the living sh*t out of every one of you turd balls!"

CM (nervous voice): "Oh... uh... sure... no problem, Coach. He's in."

LOUD CLICK on other end. CM turns to committee.

CM: "Uh, that was Bobby Knight --"

REST OF COMMITTEE: "Texas Tech's in!"

CM: "Ok, slide St. Louis down one more."

Furious pencil scratching around the table. Phone rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice (weeping sounds in desperate voice): "This is Brian Gregory (more sobs)... you just got to let me and my boys in. I got a family to feed for cripes sake!"

CM: "Uh, I understand your desperation, Coach, but right now St. Louis is ahead of you."

Voice (angry tone now): "That fat bast**d and those fu**ing little brats of his... again! I hate those SOBs and I hate that f**ked up mascot of theirs. Puhleeze, I'm begging here... think about my family. I'll lose my house! These crazy Flyer fans will hang me... and I mean that literally. Have a freakin' heart! My career's...no, make that my life's on the line! C'mon!"

CM: "Coach, it wouldn't be fair to St. Louis. I think --" (Gregory interrupts)

Voice (screaming now): "They didn't play anybody!"

CM: "They played you! Twice, and won both times."

Voice: "It was a fluke!" (he calms down) "Ok... ok... here's what I'll do. I'll guarantee a sellout, that's 13,000 friggin' tickets."

CM: "Uh... I don't know. From what we understand the Flyer faithful are pretty disgusted with you right now. Sell outs are rare these days."

Vocie: "I'll pay for the empties! (starts crying again) It's my job. Show some compassion here. I got kids, a mortgage, a wife that's trying to end the recession all by herself. Majerus is single. He lives in a friggin' hotel and... uh... oh yeah, he hates gays!"

CM: "Okay, Coach, calm down. Here's the deal, you guarantee you'll pay for the empty seats?"

Voice: "Promise."

CM: "You're in... you're probably one and done, but you're in."

Voice (tears of joy): "Oh, thank you... thank you. I thank you... my wife thanks you... my kids thank-- (interupted by CM)

CM: "Ok, I get it... thanks for calling and good luck... you're gonna need it."

He hangs up and turns to the committee.

CM (a greedy smirk): "I knew that sniveling little dick would guarantee us a sell out. Dayton's in."

Everyone smiles and pencils go to scratching again.

CM: "So, that it? Field complete?"

CM 2: "Uh, what about Saint Louis?"

CM: "Who?"

No one answers.

CM: "C'mon, lets hit the bar. I need a drink."

They leave.

[drkelsey55]

LMAO

[Bay Area Billiken]

Phone rings in committee room:

Committee member(CM): "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "This is Roy Williams, HC UN--"

interupted by CM's excited squealing voice

CM: "You're in! Can I have your autograph for my son?"

listens

CM: "Thanks, God... uh... I mean Mr. Williams. Sorry about your season, but believe me we are thrilled to have the Heels. Bye now and thanks so much."

Hangs up and turns to committee with a joyful smile.

CM: "Drop St. Louis down one. We got the friggin' heels!"

Wild applause around the table. Phone Rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "Hey, this is Coach Knight, if you jerkoffs don't select my son and his team, I'm coming up there to choke the living sh*t out of every one of you turd balls!"

CM (nervous voice): "Oh... uh... sure... no problem, Coach. He's in."

LOUD CLICK on other end. CM turns to committee.

CM: "Uh, that was Bobby Knight --"

REST OF COMMITTEE: "Texas Tech's in!"

CM: "Ok, slide St. Louis down one more."

Furious pencil scratching around the table. Phone rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice (weeping sounds in desperate voice): "This is Brian Gregory (more sobs)... you just got to let me and my boys in. I got a family to feed for cripes sake!"

CM: "Uh, I understand your desperation, Coach, but right now St. Louis is ahead of you."

Voice (angry tone now): "That fat bast**d and those fu**ing little brats of his... again! I hate those SOBs and I hate that f**ked up mascot of theirs. Puhleeze, I'm begging here... think about my family. I'll lose my house! These crazy Flyer fans will hang me... and I mean that literally. Have a freakin' heart! My career's...no, make that my life's on the line! C'mon!"

CM: "Coach, it wouldn't be fair to St. Louis. I think --" (Gregory interrupts)

Voice (screaming now): "They didn't play anybody!"

CM: "They played you! Twice, and won both times."

Voice: "It was a fluke!" (he calms down) "Ok... ok... here's what I'll do. I'll guarantee a sellout, that's 13,000 friggin' tickets."

CM: "Uh... I don't know. From what we understand the Flyer faithful are pretty disgusted with you right now. Sell outs are rare these days."

Vocie: "I'll pay for the empties! (starts crying again) It's my job. Show some compassion here. I got kids, a mortgage, a wife that's trying to end the recession all by herself. Majerus is single. He lives in a friggin' hotel and... uh... oh yeah, he hates gays!"

CM: "Okay, Coach, calm down. Here's the deal, you guarantee you'll pay for the empty seats?"

Voice: "Promise."

CM: "You're in... you're probably one and done, but you're in."

Voice (tears of joy): "Oh, thank you... thank you. I thank you... my wife thanks you... my kids thank-- (interupted by CM)

CM: "Ok, I get it... thanks for calling and good luck... you're gonna need it."

He hangs up and turns to the committee.

CM (a greedy smirk): "I knew that sniveling little dick would guarantee us a sell out. Dayton's in."

Everyone smiles and pencils go to scratching again.

CM: "So, that it? Field complete?"

CM 2: "Uh, what about Saint Louis?"

CM: "Who?"

No one answers.

CM: "C'mon, lets hit the bar. I need a drink."

They leave.

Add the call to Stony Brook, advising of its home game with the Illini. Did H--- freeze over immediately? Was 9-1-1 summoned on Long Island?

What was the reading on the Bruce Weber whine-o-meter?

Seriously, I still cannot fathom that Illinois is playing at Stony Brook. Huff Gym (where March Madness actually began with the IHSA State Tournament) still stands on the U of I campus and reportedly seats 4,000 for basketball. There are also arenas in Springfield, Bloomington, Normal (ISU), and Peoria.

[Bizziken]

Seriously, I still cannot fathom that Illinois is playing at Stony Brook. Huff Gym (where March Madness actually began with the IHSA State Tournament) still stands on the U of I campus and reportedly seats 4,000 for basketball. There are also arenas in Springfield, Bloomington, Normal (ISU), and Peoria.

I posted this before somewhere, but Cirque de Soleil is playing at Assembly Hall on the first few days of the NIT, so Illinois can't use that building...so- why don't they move CdS....screw em! B-Ball is much more important! Other gyms in Illinois just wouldn't be the same, and I guess this seemed like the most logical sense to the NIT selection committee...given the lack of intelligent people on it, we should have expected nothing less...

[Bay Area Billiken]

I posted this before somewhere, but Cirque de Soleil is playing at Assembly Hall on the first few days of the NIT, so Illinois CAN'T use that building...that is the ONLY reason it's not a home game for them

I know about the Cirque- but why didn't Illinois just put the game at Huff Gym (where it played before Assembly Hall was built)?

Or why didn't Illinois put the game somewhere else in Central Ill.?

Huff Gym is still there, home of U of I volleyball, wrestling.

I mean this is Stony Brook, which lost to Fordham- at Rose Hill Gym.

[Bizziken]

But Fordham is a damn fine program! Early line on the game....Illinois -67

[dlarry]

I know about the Cirque- but why didn't Illinois just put the game at Huff Gym (where it played before Assembly Hall was built)?

Or why didn't Illinois put the game somewhere else in Central Ill.?

Huff Gym is still there, home of U of I volleyball, wrestling.

I mean this is Stony Brook, which lost to Fordham- at Rose Hill Gym.

I have to admit the Stony Brook logo is pretty cool

maybe thats what put them over the top for a home game

[billiken_roy]

I know about the Cirque- but why didn't Illinois just put the game at Huff Gym (where it played before Assembly Hall was built)?

Or why didn't Illinois put the game somewhere else in Central Ill.?

Huff Gym is still there, home of U of I volleyball, wrestling.

I mean this is Stony Brook, which lost to Fordham- at Rose Hill Gym.

i seem to recall that the nit doesnt let any team go through the brackets with all games at home. so maybe the illini decided they'd rather have the road game vs stoney brook than say a rhode island in the quarter finals. personally if true, i am on board with that thinking.

[moytoy12]

I have to admit the Stony Brook logo is pretty cool

maybe thats what put them over the top for a home game

The seawolf is the distant retarded cousin of the werewolf.

[kshoe]

i seem to recall that the nit doesnt let any team go through the brackets with all games at home. so maybe the illini decided they'd rather have the road game vs stoney brook than say a rhode island in the quarter finals. personally if true, i am on board with that thinking.

that doesn't sound right. If the 4 home teams win the first round and the two home teams win the next round somebody HAS the be the home team for the third round.

[b.hayes]

Phone rings in committee room:

Committee member(CM): "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "This is Roy Williams, HC UN--"

interupted by CM's excited squealing voice

CM: "You're in! Can I have your autograph for my son?"

listens

CM: "Thanks, God... uh... I mean Mr. Williams. Sorry about your season, but believe me we are thrilled to have the Heels. Bye now and thanks so much."

Hangs up and turns to committee with a joyful smile.

CM: "Drop St. Louis down one. We got the friggin' heels!"

Wild applause around the table. Phone Rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice: "Hey, this is Coach Knight, if you jerkoffs don't select my son and his team, I'm coming up there to choke the living sh*t out of every one of you turd balls!"

CM (nervous voice): "Oh... uh... sure... no problem, Coach. He's in."

LOUD CLICK on other end. CM turns to committee.

CM: "Uh, that was Bobby Knight --"

REST OF COMMITTEE: "Texas Tech's in!"

CM: "Ok, slide St. Louis down one more."

Furious pencil scratching around the table. Phone rings.

CM: "Hello, NIT selection committee, how may we help you?"

Voice (weeping sounds in desperate voice): "This is Brian Gregory (more sobs)... you just got to let me and my boys in. I got a family to feed for cripes sake!"

CM: "Uh, I understand your desperation, Coach, but right now St. Louis is ahead of you."

Voice (angry tone now): "That fat bast**d and those fu**ing little brats of his... again! I hate those SOBs and I hate that f**ked up mascot of theirs. Puhleeze, I'm begging here... think about my family. I'll lose my house! These crazy Flyer fans will hang me... and I mean that literally. Have a freakin' heart! My career's...no, make that my life's on the line! C'mon!"

CM: "Coach, it wouldn't be fair to St. Louis. I think --" (Gregory interrupts)

Voice (screaming now): "They didn't play anybody!"

CM: "They played you! Twice, and won both times."

Voice: "It was a fluke!" (he calms down) "Ok... ok... here's what I'll do. I'll guarantee a sellout, that's 13,000 friggin' tickets."

CM: "Uh... I don't know. From what we understand the Flyer faithful are pretty disgusted with you right now. Sell outs are rare these days."

Vocie: "I'll pay for the empties! (starts crying again) It's my job. Show some compassion here. I got kids, a mortgage, a wife that's trying to end the recession all by herself. Majerus is single. He lives in a friggin' hotel and... uh... oh yeah, he hates gays!"

CM: "Okay, Coach, calm down. Here's the deal, you guarantee you'll pay for the empty seats?"

Voice: "Promise."

CM: "You're in... you're probably one and done, but you're in."

Voice (tears of joy): "Oh, thank you... thank you. I thank you... my wife thanks you... my kids thank-- (interupted by CM)

CM: "Ok, I get it... thanks for calling and good luck... you're gonna need it."

He hangs up and turns to the committee.

CM (a greedy smirk): "I knew that sniveling little dick would guarantee us a sell out. Dayton's in."

Everyone smiles and pencils go to scratching again.

CM: "So, that it? Field complete?"

CM 2: "Uh, what about Saint Louis?"

CM: "Who?"

No one answers.

CM: "C'mon, lets hit the bar. I need a drink."

They leave.

It is funny that you used the abbreviation "CM", meaning "Committee Member", because if I remember correctly, the head of the NIT Selection Committee is CM Newton, otherwise known as a jackhole #1. He pretty much said during the show yesterday that they took UNC for exactly the reasons you said, and then went on to say he didn't think the NCAA should expand to 96 teams if it was only about money. What a joke.

[Bizziken]

Add in the fact that an ex-NC State coach was on the NIT Selection Committee, and Lo and Behold!...NC State made the NIT with crappy wins and a lower RPI than SLU

[Bizziken]

NIT Breakdown...

Big East- 5 (So that means 13 out of 16 Big East teams made either the NCAA or NIT Tournament....what a joke!!!)

ACC- 3 (9 out of 12 ACC schools made the NCAA or NIT...also a joke considering it's a 'weak' year for the ACC)

C-USA- 3

B-10- 2

SEC- 2

CAA- 2

MVC- 2

A-10- 2

Ree-frickin-diculous! 5 Big East Schools??!! 3 ACC schools??!! 25% of the NIT field= Joke

[billiken_roy]

just shows the ncaa is moving towards bcs only. it's going to happen eventually. d-1 will eventually = bcs.

[kshoe]

just shows the ncaa is moving towards bcs only. it's going to happen eventually. d-1 will eventually = bcs.

Agreed. The boys on CBS were hi-fivng the committee for increasing the non BCS at-large bids to 8 this year but two things happened to make it possible:

1) The Pac-10 was just horrible this season

2) Houston and St. Marys won their tourneys and they had to let UTEP and Gonzaga get in. those are two bids that would have otherwise gone to the BCS teams.

The only real limb they went out on was Utah St.

[bsheldon]

just shows the ncaa is moving towards bcs only. it's going to happen eventually. d-1 will eventually = bcs.

You may be right. I never thought about that. Sounds a bit scary if you ask me. D1 will only be schools from the big six and everything else is D2 or some other name similar to what they did with football. The next 5 years are going to be interesting to see what happens to colleg sports. The BCS debacle has to end--sooner than later hopefully--there really is no reason for that awful system. Plus the rumors/facts that many of the major conferences (BE, B12, B10, Pac10) are looking to restructure and it may be a whole different landscape all together in a few years for all college sports--ofcourse driven by the money of football mostly and secondarily basketball.

[moytoy12]

Agreed. The boys on CBS were hi-fivng the committee for increasing the non BCS at-large bids to 8 this year but two things happened to make it possible:

1) The Pac-10 was just horrible this season

2) Houston and St. Marys won their tourneys and they had to let UTEP and Gonzaga get in. those are two bids that would have otherwise gone to the BCS teams.

The only real limb they went out on was Utah St.

Exactly. It's not like the committee had some tough choices between BCS and non-BCS teams and chose the non-BCS schools. Like you said, maybe Utah St., but even then I don't think that was a close call.

[SaintLouBlue]

i seem to recall that the nit doesnt let any team go through the brackets with all games at home. so maybe the illini decided they'd rather have the road game vs stoney brook than say a rhode island in the quarter finals. personally if true, i am on board with that thinking.

It is true that no team has home court advantage all the way through unless they play their home games at the Garden . But the higher seed does get all home games until the semi's. U of I will play all other games at home b/c there are no conflicts. Lots of people on the U of I board are asking the same question about playing at Huff or even a nearby arena rather than Rocky River or what ever team the Illini play.

Go Bills!!!

[slu72]

You may be right. I never thought about that. Sounds a bit scary if you ask me. D1 will only be schools from the big six and everything else is D2 or some other name similar to what they did with football. The next 5 years are going to be interesting to see what happens to colleg sports. The BCS debacle has to end--sooner than later hopefully--there really is no reason for that awful system. Plus the rumors/facts that many of the major conferences (BE, B12, B10, Pac10) are looking to restructure and it may be a whole different landscape all together in a few years for all college sports--ofcourse driven by the money of football mostly and secondarily basketball.

I don't think they'll mess with hoops. It's the non power upsets that make the tourney so good at least until the sweet 16. But I do think they'll expand to 96. And really I have no problem with that if they do away with the rule that conf winner gets an automatic if they don't win their tourney. The NIT should change this anyways. The idea should be, 48 teams get a first round bye and they have 32 play in games to fill out the final field of 64 teams. Don't start the tourney with #1 playing #96 as that's as big a joke as them playing #64. Then again it might not be as we might have been #96 and I'd like our chances against KU better than E. Tennessee St.

[Quality Is Job 1]

I don't think they'll mess with hoops. It's the non power upsets that make the tourney so good at least until the sweet 16. But I do think they'll expand to 96. And really I have no problem with that if they do away with the rule that conf winner gets an automatic if they don't win their tourney. The NIT should change this anyways. The idea should be, 48 teams get a first round bye and they have 32 play in games to fill out the final field of 64 teams. Don't start the tourney with #1 playing #96 as that's as big a joke as them playing #64. Then again it might not be as we might have been #96 and I'd like our chances against KU better than E. Tennessee St.

With 96 teams, the top 8 seeds (32 teams) would wait until the traditional start and have up to six rounds to play. The other 64 teams would play an opening round a day or two after Selection Sunday. I guess they would be seeds 9-24.

To give 48 teams a bye and have 32 "play in" would result in 80 teams, not 96. Nor would it be possible for the No. 1 seed to play in the seventh round (counting backward) unless the expansion was to 128 teams.

[billiken_roy]

it is my understanding that the intent is to take what would have been an nit field of 32, let them play the first round, then those 16 winners would take on the lowest 16 seeds of the 64 which would then yeild 16 winners that would fall right into those bottom 16 berths for a true best 64 left.

so two rounds of play in similar to the way the big east runs their conference tourney.

[Quality Is Job 1]

it is my understanding that the intent is to take what would have been an nit field of 32, let them play the first round, then those 16 winners would take on the lowest 16 seeds of the 64 which would then yeild 16 winners that would fall right into those bottom 16 berths for a true best 64 left.

so two rounds of play in similar to the way the big east runs their conference tourney.

That sounds crazy. They ought to leave one of the greatest sporting events alone. Once people can't figure out brackets and have pools, the interest in the NCAA Tournament will wane until the Final Four or Sweet Sixteen.

[billiken_roy]

what is so hard about two play in rounds to understand?

the big east format has been extremely successful imo.

[thatskablamo]

It is true that no team has home court advantage all the way through unless they play their home games at the Garden . But the higher seed does get all home games until the semi's. U of I will play all other games at home b/c there are no conflicts. Lots of people on the U of I board are asking the same question about playing at Huff or even a nearby arena rather than Rocky River or what ever team the Illini play.

Go Bills!!!

looking good after 7 posts! keep it up! Go bills!

[Quality Is Job 1]

what is so hard about two play in rounds to understand?

the big east format has been extremely successful imo.

I just don't like it. I want them to leave the format as it is: a true, six-round tournament. I really don't like the "opening round" game which allows one undeserving team to claim it won an NCAA Tournament game. Having two "play-in" rounds allows a team to win three "Tournament" games and not reach the Sweet Sixteen.

Can the newspaper print a bracket for what is being suggested?