UNT picked as top March Madness Cinderella candidate

[GMG_Dallas]

11 minutes ago, Cooke County Kid said:

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.  

Practice time for players graduating and/or transferring out? Cool.

1 hour ago, GrandGreen said:

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.  

 

Why do you say we'd get clobbered? If we won the AAC, I'd imagine we'd be a 12 seed. Lunardi has the current 5 seeds as Oregon, Missouri, BYU, and Arizona. Oregon beat Oregon State by 3, Missouri lost to Memphis by 8, and BYU and Arizona both have some bad conference losses if I'm not mistaken. We can beat them. 

[CMJ]

15 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

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.

I didn't use FAU as an example because their seed was so good, they likely would have gotten in regardless if they won the conference tournament or not (probably in the First Four, but still).  WKU was more in the range we'd be if we won the conference tourney.

[GMG_Dallas]

6 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I didn't use FAU as an example because their seed was so good, they likely would have gotten in regardless if they won the conference tournament or not (probably in the First Four, but still).  WKU was more in the range we'd be if we won the conference tourney.

Got it. Fair enough. 

[Green Lantern]

Honestly I think we’d be fine with matchups in the NCAA Tournament assuming we can make it in. Our grinding, rock fight defensive style will give us a chance against anyone we match up with. We’ve already played competitively on the road with several teams that are NCAA Tournament teams this year. We’d fair just fine on a neutral floor.

[97and03]

13 hours ago, greenminer said:

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.

Two million for one and done vs 4k per game in the NIT…

 

[drex]

I see no reason to assume we will even make the NIT field if we lose in Fort Worth.

[UNT Family Man]

14 hours ago, greenminer said:

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.

Wright has now proven he can score and carry the team when his shot is off (got to the line a ton vs Temple & second half numbers the last two games) but we will need to have BLo and Mou put up double doubles and then rest of the supporters drain keys shoots when open.