The Texas Longhorns are National Champions

[Oscar Uniform]

 

[WichitaSooner]

This is great! I might have to contribute to the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund.

Between them and TCU, the Big 12 seems to clearly be the nation's dominant NIT league lol.

 

[sdcloud9]

Shaka's job is safe....for now.

 

[thebigabd]

Winning the NIT definitely isn't going to hurt you.... Its one of those deals where just making the NCAA Tournament is better than the NIT, but an NIT win might be better than the NCAA Tournament if you don't make the Sweet 16.

Would OU have been better off winning the NIT last year or getting beat by Rhode Island in the first round of the dance?

Interesting question.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

It is always better to make the NCAA Tournament.

 

[BCSooners]

Winning the NIT definitely isn't going to hurt you.... Its one of those deals where just making the NCAA Tournament is better than the NIT, but an NIT win might be better than the NCAA Tournament if you don't make the Sweet 16.

Would OU have been better off winning the NIT last year or getting beat by Rhode Island in the first round of the dance?

Interesting question.

Not even close.

 

[WichitaSooner]

It is always better to make the NCAA Tournament.

This times a thousand. I'd rather lose in the first round of the tournament than win the NIT and it isn't even close. Ask any recruit which they would rather do and I bet it would be unanimous.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

This times a thousand. I'd rather lose in the first round of the tournament than win the NIT and it isn't even close. Ask any recruit which they would rather do and I bet it would be unanimous.

Agree. Plus, it is NOT just about the post season. The season itself is too often lost in these discussions. Getting a spot in the Big Dance is a reward for a good season.

NIT = No Interest Tournament.

 

[BoulderSooner]

It is always better to make the NCAA Tournament.

this is the correct answer

 

[Eielson]

NCAA tournament is always better for the program than the NIT, regardless of outcome. Completely agree with that.

Winning the NIT is really hard, though. It's a lot easier to win one NCAA game than to win all 4 NIT games. It's also a lot easier to win an NBA Championship than to go 73-9 in regular season, though, but who really cares? If you bring it up as a bragging point you're just going to get made fun of.

 

[thebigabd]

Many NIT teams are better than some NCAA Tournament teams. With automatic bids and what not its not like the NCAA Tournament is 68 of the most deserving teams. So the field gets watered down with very small schools who couldn't beat Texas, Arkansas, NC State, etc.

But, nobody cares about that probably. Better to just make the dance.

But winning the NIT is still good... I will track what Texas does in the seasons following winning it.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

NCAA tournament is always better for the program than the NIT, regardless of outcome. Completely agree with that.

Winning the NIT is really hard, though. It's a lot easier to win one NCAA game than to win all 4 NIT games. It's also a lot easier to win an NBA Championship than to go 73-9 in regular season, though, but who really cares? If you bring it up as a bragging point you're just going to get made fun of.

Some fans don't care one wit about trash talking or talking points. They want to enjoy the journey that is a season. Each game is an opportunity for enjoyment .. to watch your team play their rear-end off .. to compete .. to battle.

If you go to the home games, the bulk of those are conference games. The conference games count the most to some of us, as we get the opportunity to drive down the road and watch those games in person. We get the opportunity to get to know the opposing players and coaches. It just means so much more. The conference is like a family. Its personal.

A fan that brings up a "bragging point" in public is a twit that should always be made fun of. We are nothing but spectators. The players and coaches have something to brag about, not us.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Many NIT teams are better than some NCAA Tournament teams. With automatic bids and what not its not like the NCAA Tournament is 68 of the most deserving teams. So the field gets watered down with very small schools who couldn't beat Texas, Arkansas, NC State, etc.

But, nobody cares about that probably. Better to just make the dance.

But winning the NIT is still good... I will track what Texas does in the seasons following winning it.

I saw a list of the most recent champs a few weeks ago and few have translated it into future success. TCU won it two years ago and was right back in it this year. WSU used it as a springboard when they won in 2011, but that is a different situation -- mid major, poor conference, a program that hadn't had postseason success for 25 years other than one NCAA run in 2006 and that had very little national exposure at the time. But for a power conference school, there is almost no upside.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Many NIT teams are better than some NCAA Tournament teams. With automatic bids and what not its not like the NCAA Tournament is 68 of the most deserving teams. So the field gets watered down with very small schools who couldn't beat Texas, Arkansas, NC State, etc.

But, nobody cares about that probably. Better to just make the dance.

But winning the NIT is still good... I will track what Texas does in the seasons following winning it.

the NIT is "watered down" with the same small school teams

 

[thebigabd]

the NIT is "watered down" with the same small school teams

You missed my point... if the NCAA Tournament was 68 of the best teams it would have had:

• Texas instead of Abilene Christian
• Georgetown instead of Colgate
• Clemson instead of Farleigh Dickinson
• Indiana instead of NC Central
• NC State instead of North Dakota State
• Arkansas instead of Northeastern
• Xavier instead of Gardner Webb

Probably 4-5 more examples of that... Its not the best field. I get the purpose, to reward the conference champion, but the NCAA Tournament has lots of teams that have no chance of winning the NIT.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

You missed my point... if the NCAA Tournament was 68 of the best teams it would have had:

• Texas instead of Abilene Christian
• Georgetown instead of Colgate
• Clemson instead of Farleigh Dickinson
• Indiana instead of NC Central
• NC State instead of North Dakota State
• Arkansas instead of Northeastern
• Xavier instead of Gardner Webb

Probably 4-5 more examples of that... Its not the best field. I get the purpose, to reward the conference champion, but the NCAA Tournament has lots of teams that have no chance of winning the NIT.

If the NCAA allows a conference to belong in Division-1, then of course that conference champion belongs in the tournament that determines the Division-1 national champion.

Regarding the NIT, the point is this: If you consider your team to be a Top-25 program, then going to the NIT is a disappointment. Consistently going to the NCAA tournament is the norm for a Top-25 program. Texas is not a top-25 basketball program.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

If the NCAA allows a conference to belong in Division-1, then of course that conference champion belongs in the tournament that determines the Division-1 national champion.

Regarding the NIT, the point is this: If you consider your team to be a Top-25 program, then going to the NIT is a disappointment. Consistently going to the NCAA tournament is the norm for a Top-25 program. Texas is not a top-25 basketball program.

Well, so much for that argument. Texas has made the NCAA tournament 18 of the past 21 years.

From Wiki ...

Texas has appeared in the NCAA Tournament on 34 occasions (tied for 11th-most appearances all time, and second only to Kansas among Big 12 Conference members). The Longhorns' overall record in the Tournament is 35–37.

The Oklahoma Sooners have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 32 times. Their combined record is 42–32. They have appeared in the Final Four of the tournament 5 times, tied with The University of Houston and The University of Illinois for most appearances without winning a national championship.

 

[Eielson]

I'd say Texas is pretty safely a top 25 program. Shaka Smart is pretty safely not a top 25 coach.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Well, so much for that argument. Texas has made the NCAA tournament 18 of the past 21 years.

From Wiki ...

I'm curious how many of Texas NIT appearances are from the Big 12 era?

As for the NIT, the worst part about it is the NIT selection committee chooses teams based on ticket sales instead of most deserving. The NIT sole purpose is to make money, not crown a true 69th best team.

I can't watch the NIT games until they play in MSG but I missed it this year.

 

[Ghost of Gar Heard]

Not even close.

I can't even imagine this is a debate.