Arkansas-Little Rock snubbed by NIT

[ADLER]

Precedent was ignored and UALR was left hanging.

The National Invitation Tournament snubbed UALR on Sunday night, abruptly ending the Trojans’ 2004-2005 season with an 18-10 record.

For the first time since the NIT expanded to 40 teams in 2002, teams with Rating Percentage Index ranks of less than 90 were left out of the field. This year, No. 55 Akron, No. 61 UALR and No. 80 Oregon were not invited.

The NIT snub ends the UALR careers of Brandon Freeman, Zack Graber, Darius Eason, Richard Hardman, Columbus Willis, Josh Jacobs and Michael Pridgeon. "I just feel bad for our seven seniors and our entire basketball team," UALR Coach Steve Shields said, just before addressing the team late Sunday.

Tw o S u n Belt Conference schools did get in. West Division champion Denver (18-10, 87 RPI) will play at San Francisco, while Western Kentucky (21-8, 63 RPI), which finished second to UALR in the East Division and lost to the Trojans twice, will host Kent State.

UALR was 3-3 against NCAA Tournament teams, while Denver was 2-2 and Western Kentucky 0-1.

UALR beat Southern Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana and lost to Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State.

Western Kentucky’s loss was to Louisiana-Lafayette, while three of Denver’s four games were against Louisiana-Lafayette. The other was a loss to Stanford. "I don’t think [strength of schedule] has a payoff when you look at us and Western Kentucky," Shields said. "When you look at nonconference strength of schedule, Western Kentucky’s is 222 and ours is 24. And we played six teams that played in the NCAA Tournament. That is what is so disappointing."

UALR went through Sunday’s practice session at Trojan Fieldhouse believing it was going to be included in the NIT field. But doubt started to creep in as Athletic Director Chris Peterson’s phone wasn’t ringing.

Finally, the Associated Press released the list of first-round games around 8:30 p.m., officially finishing the season. "When you look at our strength of schedule, beating Southern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette and sweeping Western Kentucky, and us winning the division, I’m not sure how we are excluded," Shields said. "On one hand, you can look at it as you didn’t take care of business in the [sun Belt Tournament], but I think you need to look at the entire season."

Mid-majors Davidson (62 RPI), Virginia Commonwealth (66), Drexel (71), Oral Roberts (79), Western Michigan (81) and Cal State Fullerton (107) all received bids.

UALR has not been to the NIT since 1996.

Arkansas Democrat * Gazette

[NTEagle08]

I can probably bet that the lost to FIU in their first game during the Sun Belt Tournament is probably what sealed their fate to not getting into the NIT. If you were to only pick 2 teams out of the Belt to go to the NIT, I think Western Kentucky and Denver were the 2 best candidates.

[drex]

When it comes to the NIT, you had better have some decent home attendance numbers....the games are then bid to those who made the field. If your home attendance stinks, you probably won't bid very much for a home game. If your attendance stinks and you are on the bubble, then kiss the NIT good bye. They don't call it the National Insult Tournament for nothing.