NIT? Nope. CBI? Nope. CIT? Nope. No postseason play for AU despite a 22 win season. Despite having more or the same number of wins than 20 of 22 teams in the CIT and more wins than every member of the CBI, AU will be playing in neither. I need to do some investigation into whether that was because we weren't invited or because we declined an invitation. We'll get back to all of you on that.
Still, a sad end for this team and Luptak, Hendra, and Moldoveanu whose AU careers end on a bitter note.
Enough bitterness though, let's look forward to next year. Thanks so much for all of the comments on our last post. Some great analysis from all of you that I hope will continue in the offseason.
We'll be bringing you some more thoughts about what the team will look like next year and how AU will fare in the Patriot League. Here's a sneak preview: good chance AU's streak of finishing no worse than fourth ends next year, a bunch of teams return a number of starters and key personnel next year. It'll be a hell of a feat for Jeff Jones to keep us in the top half, even with Lumpkins and Brewer returning.
We'll be back soon, for now, leave in the comments where you see AU finishing in the PL next year!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
AU chose not to accept an invitation if offered to the CIT or CBI. Both are JV tournaments and not much of a plus to our program. Giving bench players experience in either tournament and giving them serious playing time would be a huge plus, but would negate the purpose of being selected to the tournament and giving the100% which tournament officials would expect.
ReplyDeleteSo did AU put out some kind of information to the organizations selecting teams to these tournaments essentially saying, "don't select us, we won't accept?" Or did the team just stop practicing and that was enough to send the message? Not sure if that's inside info or not.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is there was really no chance they'd accept. Bottom Line Boots was right, JJ probably wouldn't have played Vlad or Nick or Steve since, outside of "one last hurrah" the biggest plus to the program at this point would be playing underclassmen to get them ready for next year.
ReplyDeletePeople can make the argument that AU doesn't have the right to turn down any postseason invitation, but it is a huge financial investment. Unless you win the tournament, there is next to no tangible benefit. No recruit is going to look at AU as the CBI/CIT quarterfinalist and choose this school. It just doesn't matter that much. It's much easier to sell them on the PL record (never finished below 4th), and that they've been to the Tournament before and came a few fouls and 3 pointers away from winning a game.
The season ended the night they lost to Lafayette. The NIT has too many automatic berths and NCAA Tourney snubs to invite a school like AU. The CBI/CIT cost way too much. That's the end of it, for better or worse.
I am on record and will remain so that not playing is a mistake. We are not near big enough a program to turn down a chance at more exposure. I don't care how "low-rent" the tournament is; someone will be watching on TV, and that helps a program like ours. Kansas and Kentucky are on every night; we're not. Whether JJ decided to play it normally and give the regulars all the run, or play the kids, it doesn't matter. Every chance we get to tell America that AU is one of the PL's best programs, and has been in the NCAAs twice in the last few years, is a net plus for us. Unless the cost was prohibiitve--and I can't imagine it would be (if they asked us to fly cross-country on our dime, I'd say no, of course)--we don't have anything approaching a pedigree big enough to turn down opportunities to play comparable programs. That only will help with potential recruits, alumni giving, etc. If we turned everyone down before they asked, that was wrong.
ReplyDeleteummm....is the CBI or CIT even on TV? Is there a CBI On-Demand I'm missing? Because I'd totally turn off March Madness On-Demand and flip over to CBI On-Demand.
ReplyDeleteSnark aside, not even NIT games are televised until the last couple rounds at MSG. The CBI and CIT aren't getting anywhere near the exposure of the two senior tournaments. It's not going to sell us on recruits, and the costs (travel, hotels, per diems, meals, missed classes, etc.) do not make participation worth it. I highly doubt a recruit is going to choose AU because he saw us in the CIT playing the 4th place team in the Southland Conference.
That is the point you are missing, Senioritis. That's exactly the type of player that we recruit, and exactly the kind of team we are competing with for those recruits. We do not get blue chippers, or second team All-Mets, or guys who are looking at, frankly, NCAA or NIT-level teams. We are going after projects, guys who might turn into something. Those players are contemplating the Southlands, and the the Sun Belts, etc. Which is why we should be eager to play against those kinds of teams.
ReplyDeleteWhen we sign a recruit, look at the other schools they were considering. We don't get a kid who was considering Texas or Florida. We are battling with PL schools and other small conference programs. Kager had offers from Lehigh, Holy Cross and Furman (Southern). Wayne Simon was looking at Eastern Illinois (OVC), James Madison and Northeastern (CAA), Tulane and Tulsa(Conference USA). Furman played in the CIT; Madison played in the CBI. Surely they have or had the same concerns about costs that we would, but they saw the value in accepting the bids.
Playing and beating a Weber State or Creighton at their place would be a huge boon for us.
There seems to be a feeling among some that we've "arrived" as a program. We've done nothing of the sort. We are building a program, and we don't have the luxury of skipping any steps. How many times have we seen teams that did well one year in the NIT have a big season the following year? I would have loved to have seen Wayne or Tony get some meaningful minutes in a game against like competition. It could not do anything but help them next year.
NJJ- i have to mostly disagree with your rationale. I am an avid college BB follower, and i do not see the CIT or CBI on my Verizon cable network so as a PR for potential recruits, i do not see it as very helpful. We do get some "First Team All Suburban" players. Jeff Holton was one here in the Philly area. Snodgrass was an "All Regional Selection" in Gainesville. Too bad they did not work out. Yes we have to take the second line players because cream of the crop with an 1100+ SAT can play wherever they choose, like Stanford, Northwestern, Boston College, Vanderbilt, etc. to name just a few schools with top curriculum and playing ball in a BCS conference.
ReplyDeleteOur program has not arrived and those of us who follow the program realize it. AU will have to scrap and hustle to get kids. I think JJ has finally figured out what he needs to do, after going the Eastern Europe route. The AU pitch is simple against our recruiting rivals: Play in (or transfer to) Washington DC instead of Worcester MA or Tulsa OK.
Losing in the first round of the CIT would not be a sales pitch i would want to make, and what if the recruit says "what is the CIT ?" Then what does Kieran say ?
I agree with NJJ. AU should be going after post-season play, with the money invovled being the only question.
ReplyDeleteExposure: As a follower of college basketball, I see and follow the results of those other tournaments. If there was nothing to be gotten from it, then the other schools WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE. It's that simple.
Recruiting: participating in post season play is a big recruiting tool, whether recruits see games or not. Just being able to say you were selected is an accomplishment, and NOT going is a tool other schools can use against a program like AU: "AU won't accept a post-season bid." It's a pretty nice deal for Quinnipiac that they are doing this, and you bet they will use it: "we played in a post-season invitational." Personally, I like the sound of that. Now over 140 teams will play in postseason, including a few A-10 teams, PAC-10, Missouri Valley, Colonial,Ohio Valley, a team from the Northeast Conference, Big Sky, Southern, and a couple of conferences AU might very well compete with for recruits.
Third: it's nice for the players, the seniors. One last chance to show people what they have to offer. Win or lose.
What Steve said. In addition, a few--not all, but a few--of the CBI/CIT games are on TV. I know I watched Oregon State play last year. And even if they weren't on TV, to Steve's point, the important thing is being able to tell a recruit that we played this team from the OVC, or these teams from the CAA, in addition to our guarantee games. Kids want to know you're playing against good or at least equally good programs.
ReplyDeleteOur RPI/SOS suffered this year for that very reason; a 22-9 team shouldn't be ranked in the low 100s. But we were b/c we not only were in a poor conference, but we had Howard, St. Francis, et.al., on the schedule. I don't mind playing MEAC or America East schools, but in the future I hope JJ can schedule those conference's favorites and/or defending champs, whose RPI or SOS might be a little higher. Let's play Hampton or Morgan or Quinnipiac instead of the real bottom feeders.
We had 7 games this season against teams that reached post season play (NCAA & NIT). We won one vs. Florida Atlantic. In addition didn't the 3rd seed in our PL Tournament have a losing record @ 6-8. Not a banner year for the League. I loved our schedule this past year. They have to schedule home and home games against these other teams, and sometimes the competition has an off year. How about AU going to the NCAA's and then going 7- 23 last year?
ReplyDeleteScheduling is tough. I think next season we have Villanova on the road, and the start of a home and home vs. St. Joe. Too bad we couldn't play St.Joe this year, but that is my point. Give us couple guards who can play and then we will have a chance. Just watch what these top guards do on TV this week, and if AU had just 2 with 2/3 the talent we will be strong enough next year to play with and possibly upset anyone. Their penetration and quickness set up the entire offense....just like it is supposed to.