UNT picked as top March Madness Cinderella candidate

[Mean Green Newz]

[NorthTexasWeLove]

We won't be in the ncaa tournament. Do we really think we're going to beat in order: 

1. A team we struggled with at home and just lost to. 

2. A UAB team we have lost to with better personnel.

3. The reg season champ with far superior personnel. 

Very minimal chance of running that table. We'd be doing well to play in the tournament championship. 

[GMG_Dallas]

7 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

We won't be in the ncaa tournament. Do we really think we're going to beat in order: 

1. A team we struggled with at home and just lost to. 

2. A UAB team we have lost to with better personnel.

3. The reg season champ with far superior personnel. 

Very minimal chance of running that table. We'd be doing well to play in the tournament championship. 

I agree, however, I can see Memphis and UAB losing early as well.

[CMJ]

You never know what happens in a conference tournament.  I've seen squads that haven't done jack all season get hot and I've seen teams that rolled all league slate long get upset by a 6 win team.  It's crazy to think we don't have a shot.

[BigWillie]

Honestly, I think we should own the NIT. Realistically, IF we did get into the NCAA, would we expect to win the first round? I wouldn't.

I think we have a much better shot at winning a NIT and that would get a notch in Hodges belt. Remember, Grant started with a CBI.

[untbowler]

Losing to Temple kills any Cinderella talk

[BigChiefGMG]

We were never gonna be Cinderella unless we won at dickies. There was 0% chance we would make it without winning our conference. I think we all need to wash this off and gear up for Friday! Hopefully 3 magical days of mean green basketball are in store for us. If not then we accept an NIT. I’m big dance or bust kind of guy here - I don’t care about NIT, CBI, etc. sure I’ll watch that if we are in it, but it’s always been about the big dance in my eyes 

Edited 4 hours ago by BigChiefGMG

[CMJ]

The year we won the CUSA Tournament and defeated Purdue, we lost our regular season finale.

 

Cool the breaks on jumping out a window or say we have no shot in Fort Worth.  March Madness is called March Madness for a reason.

[BigChiefGMG]

Exactly^ see yall Friday at 6.

[Tom McKrackin]

9 minutes ago, CMJ said:

The year we won the CUSA Tournament and defeated Purdue, we lost our regular season finale.

 

Cool the breaks on jumping out a window or say we have no shot in Fort Worth.  March Madness is called March Madness for a reason.

Great point!

[BigWillie]

39 minutes ago, BigChiefGMG said:

We were never gonna be Cinderella unless we won at dickies. There was 0% chance we would make it without winning our conference. I think we all need to wash this off and gear up for Friday! Hopefully 3 magical days of mean green basketball are in store for us. If not then we accept an NIT. I’m big dance or bust kind of guy here - I don’t care about NIT, CBI, etc. sure I’ll watch that if we are in it, but it’s always been about the big dance in my eyes 

I really am on the fence about this. I know everyone is striving to get to NCAA, but seeding wise we would be a huge underdog, and I get that we had the same thing when we beat Purdue, but I don't think this team has enough to hang with a top seed.

I am kinda leaning on making a deep run into NIT, if not winning it all.

[GMG_Dallas]

The NIT is great for diehard fans but that's about it. College basketball is about the Big Dance. I'd rather lose round 1 of THE NCAA Tournament than have an NIT run. I'm willing to bet the players and future recruits care more about playing THE tourney or joining a tournament team than they do an NIT run.

[Big Z]

We are damn good enough to be in the Big Dance to play against anybody...

[CMJ]

I'd rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA Tournament.  If I knew what would happen going in, I'd go NIT.

 

Problem is, you never know if you're gonna be one and done or not.  We could upset someone as a 4/5 seed, and than have the other 4/5 seed also lose in front of us, and suddenly we're looking at a potential Sweet 16, which would be bigger than anything we've ever done before.

 

That's what happened for WKU back in 08, I think it was.  Upset their 5 (Drake maybe?) at the buzzer....the 4 went down to San Diego a couple hours later.  Toppers ended up with a Sweet 16 and gave UCLA a run to make the Regional Final.

Edited 45 minutes ago by CMJ

[Big Z]

5 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I'd rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA Tournament.  If I knew what would happen going in, I'd go NIT.

 

Problem is, you never know if you're gonna be one and done or not.  We could upset someone as a 4/5 seed, and than have the other 4/5 seed also lose in front of us, and suddenly we're looking at a potential Sweet 16, which would be bigger than anything we've ever done before.

 

That's what happened for WKU back in 08, I think it was.  Upset their 5 (Drake maybe?) at the buzzer....the 4 went down to San Diego a couple hours later.  Toppers up with a Sweet 16 and gave UCLA a run to make the Regional Final.

It's not always about what you want

These players and coaches work their tails off and do you think in their eyes they just say...."well let's go play in the NIT" or "you know we will lose in the first round...why bother?" 

[greenminer]

When we won the NIT, Perry (except for Wisconsin game) was hitting 20+.  Even in the finale vs. UAB, we got another 20+ from Kai.

We skate on such thin ice this year, I think if we are going to win this (which I think we can), we're going to need someone to level up and give us 20+ ppg.  I'd like to look back more closely, but it seems like B-Lo has been trying to find more ways to contribute offensively.

B-Lo and/or Wright, please step up!  Give us some breathing room.

[greenminer]

10 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I'd rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA Tournament.  If I knew what would happen going in, I'd go NIT.

Same.  Take the NCAA bid, always.  But an NIT 'ship, with everything leading into it, is so much more fun than a 1-and-done.

[CMJ]

Just now, Big Z said:

It's not always about what you want

These players and coaches work their tails off and do you think in their eyes they just say...."well let's go play in the NIT" or "you know we will lose in the first round...why bother?" 

Wait, it's like you never even read what I said.  Since we have no way of knowing what would happen, of course I'd rather go to the NCAA Tournament because an upset could happen...a bracket could fall apart....etc.

 

Hell, I'd still take the NCAA Tournament first round loss over winning a couple of rounds of the NIT, which again isn't guaranteed (the NIT is filled with quality teams, see us getting pasted in the 2nd round last year).  It doesn't get to be a question ex post facto which was the better deal unless you make the semis of the NIT.

 

Since we have no way of knowing, of course you want the NCAA.  It's not a question.

[untjim1995]

We got a great chance to make the NCAA Tournament if our team doesn’t crap itself AND we bring a strong crowd to FW. If we can’t support them in this thing. then it’s probably moot anyway to ever see thing matter to anyone beyond this board.

[NTWL20]

6 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I'd rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA Tournament.  If I knew what would happen going in, I'd go NIT.

 

Problem is, you never know if you're gonna be one and done or not.  We could upset someone as a 4/5 seed, and than have the other 4/5 seed also lose in front of us, and suddenly we're looking at a potential Sweet 16, which would be bigger than anything we've ever done before.

 

That's what happened for WKU back in 08, I think it was.  Upset their 5 (Drake maybe?) at the buzzer....the 4 went down to San Diego a couple hours later.  Toppers up with a Sweet 16 and gave UCLA a run to make the Regional Final.

Been there done that. I wouldn’t even mind if we declined an NIT bid if we lost in the conference tourney. Obviously won’t happen but that’s where im at. 
 

It’s time to elevate the program and NIT championships aren’t gonna do it. The first thing I see as I open our program’s Wiki page is how many NCAA appearances we have. NIT is in the “see more” section.
 

 

[SUMG]

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

The year we won the CUSA Tournament and defeated Purdue, we lost our regular season finale.

 

Cool the breaks on jumping out a window or say we have no shot in Fort Worth.  March Madness is called March Madness for a reason.

Glad you posted this...was about to post something similar.

That was the year of Covid crowd restrictions......so all the CUSA teams played two game series at a place. So not only did we lose our regular season finale....to UAB....we lost the previous game to them, as well. (Both at the Super Pit).

People seem to forget....we finished that regular season............13-9. (lots of cancelled games).

We then won 4 games in the tourney....in 4 days. (the last one going into OT). And then we beat Purdue. 

So can this team.....which is 23-7.....go to FW and win three games in three days......of course they can. 

[Big Z]

1 minute ago, SUMG said:

Glad you posted this...was about to post something similar.

That was the year of Covid crowd restrictions......so all the CUSA teams played two game series at a place. So not only did we lose our regular season finale....to UAB....we lost the previous game to them, as well. (Both at the Super Pit).

People seem to forget....we finished that regular season............13-9. (lots of cancelled games).

We then won 4 games in the tourney....in 4 days. (the last one going into OT). And then we beat Purdue. 

So can this team.....which is 23-7.....go to FW and win three games in three days......of course they can. 

100% agree

[GrandGreen]

Is winning the NIT better than going to the NCAA tournament?

IMO, it is a moot point, you play to win every game and that is all a team can do.   I think it is foolish to suggest that going to the NCAA's is better than winning the NIT.   Getting clobbered in the first round of the NCAA's is not going to help the program anymore than winning games in the NIT.  

Recruiting advances in either scenario pale in importance against how much you can pay players.  

 

[Cooke County Kid]

The NIT helps, more practice time and more exposure.  The NCAAs are the ultimate goal but the players just want to play.  It is good to have options.  

[GMG_Dallas]

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

I'd rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA Tournament.  If I knew what would happen going in, I'd go NIT.

 

Problem is, you never know if you're gonna be one and done or not.  We could upset someone as a 4/5 seed, and than have the other 4/5 seed also lose in front of us, and suddenly we're looking at a potential Sweet 16, which would be bigger than anything we've ever done before.

 

That's what happened for WKU back in 08, I think it was.  Upset their 5 (Drake maybe?) at the buzzer....the 4 went down to San Diego a couple hours later.  Toppers up with a Sweet 16 and gave UCLA a run to make the Regional Final.

Shoot, just go back to FAU two seasons ago. They beat Memphis in that 8/9 match-up, then got #16 Fairleigh Dickinson. Granted, FDU played very tough but the Sweet 16 was relatively easy in that round of 32 match-up.

A year ago I was talking to a guy about college sports. I brought up my loyalty to the Mean Green and he brought up our upset over Purdue 3 years prior. I've never had anybody bring up the NIT win but many remember the Purdue win even if they're not UNT fans.