NIT

[freewillie07]

The 2015-16 Wildcats missed the NIT. I haven’t seen anything, except maybe the effort against Purdue, to convince me this team is as good as the senior Demps-Olah year.

BMac has been the team MVP for years but the ball movement had been dreadful even when he was playing.

I’m not sure this is even an NIT team. They’re playing such uninspired and lifeless basketball, I fear once the Tournament is truly out of reach, they’ll simply give up and fold. There’s no joy, no sense of unity and all-for-one attitude that defined the program in the past.

 

[freewillie07]

does anyone think this team will go to the NIT

 

[willycat]

does anyone think this team will go to the NIT

Only if it's on their home court, the All state Arena.

 

[NJCat]

does anyone think this team will go to the NIT

No chance. You pretty much have to have been considered as an at-large NCAA team to get into the NIT given the number of automatic bids the NIT has to give to single bid conference champs who lose their tournament.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Not seeing it. Not sure NU will finish with a winning record. The sad part of this meltdown is the impact it likely will have on recruiting. NU is now working juniors — imagine EJ Liddell’s reaction after getting his offer last week — and then watching NU get blown out in back to back games.

 

[NJCat]

imagine EJ Liddell’s reaction after getting his offer last week — and then watching NU get blown out in back to back games.

"Man, I am going to get playing time from Day1 and be a 3-year starter before heading to the NBA".

 

[Sec.112]

Last year, 21 of the 32 NIT teams had 20 wins.

Tell me if you can find 10 more wins for the Cats.

With incredibly optimistic blinders on, I have trouble finding seven wins.

It could be a tough remainder of the season. We'll see what this group has.

 

[NJCat]

Tell me if you can find 10 more wins for the Cats..

Can I use games in November and December 2018?

 

[Alan Smithee]

BMac has been the team MVP for years but the ball movement had been dreadful even when he was playing.

I actually thought that ball movement was ok in the Nebraska game when he was out. It was better than I expected to see. Certainly we had loads of decent shots - we just missed all of them and had the same defensive woes we've seen all season.

But on the whole, yes, this season we haven't seen much good ball movement.

 

[Alan Smithee]

does anyone think this team will go to the NIT

I'm still holding out hope for a romantic weekend with the Swedish Bikini team. When it happens, we're going to NU's NIT opener.

 

[mikewebb68]

Thing is, teams can get better. I am as disappointed with the last two games as anyone, but there is still plenty of time to right the ship and reach the NIT, or better.

 

[ubercat]

I'm still holding out hope for a romantic weekend with the Swedish Bikini team. When it happens, we're going to NU's NIT opener.

Don't forget to bring the oil.

 

[Styre]

Thing is, teams can get better. I am as disappointed with the last two games as anyone, but there is still plenty of time to right the ship and reach the NIT, or better.

There's plenty of time to reach the NIT, but they're already near the point where reaching the NCAAs means winning the conference tournament or bust.

 

[mikewebb68]

There's plenty of time to reach the NIT, but they're already near the point where reaching the NCAAs means winning the conference tournament or bust.

Agreed, but if they can figure things out, the schedule is very favorable and I could see them winning 8 in a row, just like the football team did after everyone (except myself and a few others) wrote them off.

Of cpurse, that requires them to figure it out, which seems far-fetched to many now, but I point it out since it is eerily similar to the football situation, right down to the favorable schedule...

 

[Fitz51]

Thing is, teams can get better. I am as disappointed with the last two games as anyone, but there is still plenty of time to right the ship and reach the NIT, or better.

You’re only disappointed in the last two games?

 

[mikewebb68]

You’re only disappointed in the last two games?

To be honest, yes. If we won both of them as I expected we would before the BMac injury, we would have been 3-1 in the BIG and in excellent position.

 

[NJCat]

To be honest, yes. If we won both of them as I expect we would before the BMac injury, we would have been 3-1 in the BIG and in excellent position.

I'll give you the Bryant injury costing NU the Nebraska game. It had nothing to do with the loss at PSU. Inability to guard the Lions bigs and pitiful shooting apart from Bryant lost that game.

 

[mikewebb68]

I'll give you the Bryant injury costing NU the Nebraska game. It had nothing to do with the loss at PSU. Inability to guard the Lions bigs and pitiful shooting apart from Bryant lost that game.

I didn't state that BMac's injury cost us the PSU game.

 

[NURoseBowl]

To be honest, yes. If we won both of them as I expected we would before the BMac injury, we would have been 3-1 in the BIG and in excellent position.

Love your optimism, Mike. I hope it's rewarded.

 

[mikewebb68]

Love your optimism, Mike. I hope it's rewarded.

Thanks. In my four years at Northwestern, we won 8 conference games TOTAL. I can certainly deal with a little adversity after making a tournament that I seriously thought we would never make in my lifetime.