2025 NIT Watch Thread

[shempie]

5 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

my understanding was the team and coaches did not wish to wait another week to start a tourney. 

second, i think the nit shares home sites and maybe slu is looking to gain another home game and earn additional revenue?   

last, are there entry fees to consider?   

i dont know what schools are playing at each venue, but i would think considering how many of the power conferences snatched most of the spots via the ncaa tourney, any remaining power conference teams might not actually be "better competition" as some of the above mentioned.   

I read somewhere (the Post maybe?) that if SLU and Furman win, SLU would host round 2.

[JohnnyJumpUp]

9 minutes ago, CenHudDude said:

According to AI, the average NET of the Crown teams is 86.3.  Does anyone know the average NET of the NIT teams.

Average NET for NIT teams is 110. There are more high ranked NET & Pomeroy teams in the CBC. Top 8 teams in each tournament...

Boise State, Cincinnati, Villanova, Nebraska, USC, UCF, Utah, Arizona State

SMU, Santa Clara, UC Irvine, San Francisco, North Texas, Dayton, St, Joseph's, Bradley

[JohnnyJumpUp]

51 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

my understanding was the team and coaches did not wish to wait another week to start a tourney. 

second, i think the nit shares home sites and maybe slu is looking to gain another home game and earn additional revenue?   

last, are there entry fees to consider?   

i dont know what schools are playing at each venue, but i would think considering how many of the power conferences snatched most of the spots via the ncaa tourney, any remaining power conference teams might not actually be "better competition" as some of the above mentioned.   

Not sure of any entry fees, but the CBC covers the cost of flights, local transportation, hotels, per diem and practice time for all the teams and players. The CBC also has cash prize packages to be split among players who reach their Final 4 ($50k per team), Championship Game ($100k per team) and Overall Champion ($300k). So the top finishing teams players all split a half million dollars.

[Cowboy]

15 hours ago, thetorch said:

It wasn't totally in jest.

It most likely would never work but what advantages does the A10 offer over being an independent now?  That auto bid?  

-sure the auto bid is an advantage and also being in the A10 is better for scheduling for most sports, some conf money gets sent and again scheduling 

10 hours ago, thetorch said:

There were independents for years in college basketball.  They were quite successful.  Again I don't think it would work but the current model isn't either.  I am not advocating this move perse just pointing out how it is not that far off from what we are doing.  An independent schedule would give us little chance at an NCAA tournament bid, and so does the A10 schedule.

-those were the days of Ray Meyer, not even Joey Meyer, yes DePaul did it 50 years ago but it is so different now

-Kramer would call this cooky talk

[brianstl]

5 hours ago, JohnnyJumpUp said:

If the players did vote on this, I don't believe my opinion would matter to them, but that still doesn't change the fact that they chose to play lesser competition and in my opinion that is disappointing.

It is great that the guys getting paid to play get to decide what is the best decision for the program.  I thought that is what we paid the athletic director to do.

[billikenfan05]

1 hour ago, brianstl said:

It is great that the guys getting paid to play get to decide what is the best decision for the program.  I thought that is what we paid the athletic director to do.

I'm split on this. I see where you are coming from. However, I do see the constant shift towards a "players' era" and don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe Schertz and May are wrong for leaving it up to the players. 

[HoosierPal]

5 hours ago, CenHudDude said:

According to AI, the average NET of the Crown teams is 86.3.  Does anyone know the average NET of the NIT teams.

The Crown picked up the bottom dwellers. DePaul, Colorado, Arizona State, Butler, USC and  the 7th place team In the A10. How many of the Crown teams were .500 or better in their league?  Very few. The Big 10, Big 12 and Big East were obligated to sending at least two teams. 

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

49 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

I'm split on this. I see where you are coming from. However, I do see the constant shift towards a "players' era" and don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe Schertz and May are wrong for leaving it up to the players. 

I'm just tired of having to keep up with all these new non-NCAA tournaments. I didn't know anything about the Crown until last Sunday.

[willie]

2 hours ago, brianstl said:

It is great that the guys getting paid to play get to decide what is the best decision for the program.  I thought that is what we paid the athletic director to do.

I kinda see your point but how about football players who opt out of bowl games or register for the portal. Why play a game if your players don’t want to as everyone is a free agent. 

[brianstl]

You need to structure your NIL deals so a part of payment is dependent on being available for post season games.

[Brighton]

17 hours ago, longtimelistenerfirsttimec said:

the players did not want to play in  las vegas they voted to play in nit (did not to wait around to play at end of March) but i am sure if you had told them your opinion    they would have changed their opinion

Well then no wonder they finished 5th in conference and went out early in the conf tournament.

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

 

 

18 hours ago, 2010andBeyond said:

Yeah. Playing name schools also matters. Instead we are probably going to go lose a road game at Arkansas St. would much rather play in Vegas against a P4 bottom feeder. 

Lol hating on DePaul and butler only to lose to Arkansas state. Only in SLU land. We got the powerhouses of Sanford, kent state, csun(?), Jacksonville State in the Not In Tournament. 

100% the wrong choice. But up to players and coaches to decide so whatever. 

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

The Crown picked up the bottom dwellers. DePaul, Colorado, Arizona State, Butler, USC and  the 7th place team In the A10. How many of the Crown teams were .500 or better in their league?  Very few. The Big 10, Big 12 and Big East were obligated to sending at least two teams. 

A win against any of those teams no matter how bad they are does more than beating Arkansas State or UC Irvine, or Furman or any other irrelevant program nobody has ever heard of in the NIT. Hate to break it to ya.

[gobillsgo]

Not sure of permissible recruiting time frames, but I want Schertz recruiting the portal as soon as humanly possible.  Yes I’m sure he can have some contact while coaching, but the sooner our season is over, the sooner he can focus 100% on recruiting, which we desperately need if we don’t want to regress next season. 

[willie]

12 minutes ago, gobillsgo said:

Not sure of permissible recruiting time frames, but I want Schertz recruiting the portal as soon as humanly possible.  Yes I’m sure he can have some contact while coaching, but the sooner our season is over, the sooner he can focus 100% on recruiting, which we desperately need if we don’t want to regress next season. 

Portal doesn’t open until next Monday. 

[WVBilliken]

13 minutes ago, gobillsgo said:

Not sure of permissible recruiting time frames, but I want Schertz recruiting the portal as soon as humanly possible.  Yes I’m sure he can have some contact while coaching, but the sooner our season is over, the sooner he can focus 100% on recruiting, which we desperately need if we don’t want to regress next season. 

 

When can basketball players enter the transfer portal?

March 24: transfer portal officially opens.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/2025-ncaa-transfer-portal-dates-for-mens-womens-college-basketball/ar-AA1ADBuz

[TheA_Bomb]

1 hour ago, gobillsgo said:

Not sure of permissible recruiting time frames, but I want Schertz recruiting the portal as soon as humanly possible.  Yes I’m sure he can have some contact while coaching, but the sooner our season is over, the sooner he can focus 100% on recruiting, which we desperately need if we don’t want to regress next season. 

Yeah this an argument for the NIT which starts now. But the CBC is not a long tournament and the logistics are easy. So probably wouldn't have upset the recruiting efforts too much.

[Scoop]

I wouldn’t want to wait 3 weeks to play again. Everyone is playing now. The hype is now. No brainer for the players. At least players have heard and even played in the NIT. No brainer, good decision.

[gobillsgo]

1 hour ago, willie said:

Portal doesn’t open until next Monday. 

Doesn’t mean recruiting isn’t happening. There are no rules anymore. 

[willie]

30 minutes ago, gobillsgo said:

Doesn’t mean recruiting isn’t happening. There are no rules anymore. 

So how do you know who is leaving? I would like to think there is a certain amount of  honor that you wouldn’t contact a player until they declared. 

[White Pelican]

2 minutes ago, willie said:

So how do you know who is leaving? I would like to think there is a certain amount of  honor that you wouldn’t contact a player until they declared. 

I'd like to think that too. But really?

[2010andBeyond]

3 hours ago, RiseOfTheBillikens said:

 

 

Lol hating on DePaul and butler only to lose to Arkansas state. Only in SLU land. We got the powerhouses of Sanford, kent state, csun(?), Jacksonville State in the Not In Tournament. 

100% the wrong choice. But up to players and coaches to decide so whatever. 

This is where the adults in the room are supposed to step in and say “this is what is happening, be ready in Vegas on 03/xx/25 and as soon as the seasons over you can gamble/drink/strip club your @s$ off

instead, we’ll end up with post dispatch headline of “SLU clobbered by Ark St to end season”

[gobillsgo]

20 minutes ago, willie said:

So how do you know who is leaving? I would like to think there is a certain amount of  honor that you wouldn’t contact a player until they declared. 

I think honor went out the window in college athletics a long time ago. 

[TaLBErt]

We should have done both. ONE MORE GAME! I don't want the season to end.

[Lord Elrond]

12 hours ago, White Pelican said:

I'd like to think that too. But really?

I also would like to think that honor and basic respect would stop contact with a player before they enter the portal. But I agree with @White Pelican, I really doubt it happens in real life.