It's like being the valedictorian of summer school or prettiest girl at a pig party.

For TCU with all 6 top scoreers back next year, I think the "playoff" experience and extra practice time will serve us well next year. Also, being the last team in the Big 12 and Texas playing has given us a lot of positive PR for future recruiting.

Congrats to TCU!!!



Note: see post #20 above for some REASONS along with a few FACTS to support the NIT champ>round of 64 loser.

Since very devoted fans can't remember the NIT Champion 2 days after the games are played, I'd say its better to lose in the First 4. Money is much better in the First 4 too.

"One-liners" and bad analogies(by most-NOT all) in this thread are not very strong evidence to put the NIT champ below a round of 64 loser.The only exception being the money.

(03-30-2017 09:59 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Congrats to TCU!!!



Note: see post #20 above for some REASONS along with a few FACTS to support the NIT champ>round of 64 loser.

Why was TCU in the NIT or something? I don't remember TCU ever having a winning record as CUSA or MWC members...now they are in the NIT? Wow!

most nit champs & 3rd tourn champs [ that was discussed early ]
will never win ncaa
yeah appearence in ncaa is nice
winning it all is nicer

(03-30-2017 10:33 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  most nit champs & 3rd tourn champs [ that was discussed early ]
will never win ncaa
yeah appearence in ncaa is nice
winning it all is nicer

Since 2000, 7 NIT champs have also appeared in the Final 4 during that period. 11 have been to the Elite 8.

Not a record of futility there.

"Since 2000, 7 NIT champs have also appeared in the Final 4 during that period. 11 have been to the Elite 8.

Not a record of futility there. " (Tom in Lazybrook)


THANK YOU.Great Point.

I want to say as well the year before VCU made the final 4, they won either the CBI or CIT.

(03-31-2017 12:07 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I want to say as well the year before VCU made the final 4, they won either the CBI or CIT.

Yep. They aren't included in that total.

While in most cases it would be better to lose in the NCAA first 4; if your tourney game is broadcast on TrU TV which many fewer fans have, then your game is not going to get much exposure for recruiting purposes.

If however you are a young up and coming program (either P5 or High Mid Major) all NIT games are broadcast on one of the ESPN networks which many more have access to. The benefit of a long run in any tourney is the additional practice time and team bonding.

The other program benefit not mentioned are the home games you can get in the NIT if you are a high enough seed. Only rarely will programs get a game near where they are based in the nCAA tourney and most often those are the high seed programs (kansas, NC, KY).

If your first 4 game is broadcast on a CBS network then that would be better than an NIT run because of the TV ratings difference.

This was one of the best NIT's I've seen recently because of the number of teams who lost conference tourney title games. 21 of the 32 had 20 or more wins, 3 power conference teams with 20 or more wins were in the NIT, CAL 21, Utak 20 and MS 20. 13 won 22 or more and there were some High mid majors in that catagory Colorado ST 23, BYU 22, Illinois State 27,

It can be situational but for TCU, winning the NIT last night was HUGE for a program that's not had a lot of historical basketball success. For Jamie Dixon to start his first year with a NIT championship is a big boost for recruiting and exposure.

TCU is putting together the ingredients it lacked (great HC, great new facilities) to combine with its natural advantage of being in DFW itself) to become as competitive in basketball as it is in baseball and football.

Hopefully this is just the start of a great era of TCU basketball

Better to make the big dance.

Wow, congrats TCU!

I always thought TCU bball was a basement dweller?? Do you guys have an annual home/home with SMU?? Might give them a run for their money, now?

(03-31-2017 08:57 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  Wow, congrats TCU!

I always thought TCU bball was a basement dweller?? Do you guys have an annual home/home with SMU?? Might give them a run for their money, now?

We play them once a year. They have had the upper hand lately as we concentrated on football which payed dividends getting us in the Big 12. Finishing strong this year and with our top 6 scorers back for next year, we should give them quite a game in Fort Worth next season.

Being in Big Dance = more prestige, money, and a stat that is posted.

However, if your in it (NIT), you may as well win it.

I think it is better since being taken over by the NCAA; I like the conference champion deal.

I think you can make the case that if you know that you're going to crap out in the First Four or the first round, then it's better to take the NIT championship. But obviously that's only possible in hindsight. VCU showed that even a First Four appearance doesn't preclude a program-defining NCAA run, and it's hard to say no to that.

In other words, I'd rather have a ticket to win the Powerball, even though I'll never win it, than a $2 win on a scratcher.

I think for the low mids its better to be in the NIT. The first four does give 4 lower mids one game of exposure. But the truTV which had most of 4-13, 3-14, 2-15, 1-16 games were invisible. That is where most of the bottom 20 conferences played. 11 schools from those conferences played in the NIT and had a combined record of 8-10. 5 teams got two game, 2 got 3, 1 got 4. In the NCAA all were gone by Friday night.

Again the question needs to be examined by school category: Major, Upper Mid-Major, Lower Mid-Major.

For the first two categories, the big Dance is the one you want to make. The winning chances are not dramatically different. For the Lower the NIT is far better, and has been for a few years, with the exception of the first four.

Really the Lower should have their own tournament, except for the fact nobody would watch. The next best thing the NCAA could do is to make all first four games between Lower Mids. Right now two of the four go to at-large play-ins. Ideally a round where all the Lower Mids play each other would give them exposure they are not getting, and increase the credits they earn.