So What Seed Will MSU Be?

[Realhoops]

Probably a 3. Frankly, if we're not going to play the freshmen, there isn't much of a point to playing in the NIT.

Maybe I'm misreading this post -- but is this MSU fan implying that the Bears are actually too good to take an NIT invite this year? Wow. Newsflash: Your team wasn't THAT good this year, and an NIT bid would be a pretty decent reward for a good, but not great, season.

I hope I'm just misreading that. And I also know that most Bears fans wouldn't think that -- I hope.

[WSUbballer]

He's kinda lost it RealHoops.

In another thread, he's bragging about hanging conference regular season banners like a fan of the Big South Conference.

I agree though. An MSU fan wanting to turn down an NIT bid is pretty classic!

[PeKaph]

No. The point is that the NIT/CBI/CIT is all pretty much meaningless UNLESS you're going to prepare for next year. MSU has four seniors that play the bulk of the minutes, and I'm not sure what sort of "reward" playing in the NIT after winning 25 games really is. Last year, the CIT was a BIG DEAL because it got several more games for a team that needed them, and I credit the CIT run partially for the conference title. However, I doubt that anyone on the team considers the NIT a "reward" for being somewhere between 68th-132nd in the country. It makes money for the NCAA, and not much else. However, if you're going to play Rhine/Patterson/Copeland/Valla a decent number of minutes, then that's different. They really need the reps going into next year.

[DieHardMSUFan]

No. The point is that the NIT/CBI/CIT is all pretty much meaningless UNLESS you're going to prepare for next year. MSU has four seniors that play the bulk of the minutes, and I'm not sure what sort of "reward" playing in the NIT after winning 25 games really is. Last year, the CIT was a BIG DEAL because it got several more games for a team that needed them, and I credit the CIT run partially for the conference title. However, I doubt that anyone on the team considers the NIT a "reward" for being somewhere between 68th-132nd in the country. It makes money for the NCAA, and not much else. However, if you're going to play Rhine/Patterson/Copeland/Valla a decent number of minutes, then that's different. They really need the reps going into next year.

As another MSU fan, I completely disagree with this. The NIT is a good tournament to get in, and it is not the 68th-132nd teams. MSU is currently 42 in the RPI, but with all the lower conference auto bids, and the fact that you can be ranked over 50 in a power conference and leapfrog a 42 in a mid major, is what keeps us out of the dance. Just go ask the seniors if they want to quit playing if they don't make the NCAA. While I would be disappointed, if they don't make the NCAA, it is still an honor to play in the NIT, as it is a history tournament. The CBI and CIT are pretty much throw in tournaments that a lot of teams are happy to play in to keep their senior seasons going.

[hot nuts]

I hope Illinois State turns down an NIT bid if offered this year.

[PeKaph]

Note that I NEVER said to decline the bid. If you read that, clean your glasses. I'm saying, however, that it is an exhibition. It is not the real tournament, no matter how badly I'd like it to be. It isn't predictive of much of anything, and it mostly exists to make ESPN and the NCAA money. If you can make a goal out of it (such as developing talent), it can be really useful. But I think the use with a senior-laden team is mostly symbolic.

[Bryce44]

I got a hunch the Bears make it as a 12th play in game seed.Granted there are factors working against them and a lot of upsets in tourney play would doom them but they have some things working for them. They are the conference champion of the MVC. While people who regularly follow college basketball know that the Valley was down this year the NCAA tourney aims at the casual viewer who most likely remembers last years run by UNI and its upset of Kansas. MSU could be marketed as a team from the same league with equal opportunity to pull some upsets. They also have some intangibles working in their favor such as having a rising young African American coach in Martin, a star player in Weems who can light up the scoreboard and a connection to a national tragedy with the death of Leonard's cousin. All of these can make for compelling TV which is what the NCAA is looking for.

[Deanthonybowdenfan]

I wish u were right, but honestly u sound like u r in denial. Those things mean squat in the consideration process.

[sect.3purple]

Good luck to the Sycamores in the NCAA tourney...wish it could have been my Aces, but it just was not to be. For what it's worth, I think MSU will make it to the big dance also....and WSU should get a high seed in the NIT.
All those numbers and ratings can go only so far in deciding....hey, maybe the Shockers will go dancing, too.

[pawball]

We have been through this before. 3 teams to be exact. Where one more win would have put us in. Maybe the loss at ISUb? Maybe the Tennessee game? More importantly, the final in STL...

I don't see it happening but one can never know. Air Force came out of nowhere in 2006 and got in. They hadn't even scheduled a viewing party for their team. We all know why they got in but maybe we can the favor returned this year...But being Lunardi's first four out means we are actually on the bubble, again

When AirForce got in their coach was buddy-buddy (used to work for, I believe) the chairman of the selection committee that year.

Yesterday heard that Bears were in on 38/81 bracket scenarios, so chances may be close to 50/50 still that they get in.