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Northwestern headed to Tulsa for NIT
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Bill Carmody isn't disappointed that the Wildcats will
be heading to Tulsa for their NIT game
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The NIT rings of consolation.
Because seriously, the folks down in Gainesville, or Lexington, or even down the road in South Bend were not counting on finishing their season playing in a three-letter tournament.
There were higher hopes for each of them entering this season, hopes that somewhere along the line were derailed by injuries, losses and plain ol’ not living up to expectations.
But when you are Northwestern and have only played in three post-season tournaments ever, all of the NIT variety, making any tournament, even the also-ran-heavy NIT is a big deal.
Take Kevin Coble’s reaction to making the field:
“I think it’s great. Given where we’re coming from you really can’t look down at the NIT. I think these other teams take it for granted a little bit but for us it’s a sense of external validation of the fact that everything we’ve been working on the past couple years is starting to pay off.”
Come on. Almost nothing was expected of the Wildcats this season.
Yet, the team ended road losing streaks at Michigan State and Indiana. They beat three ranked teams, and they tied the school mark for the most wins in the regular season.
Flat out, this may have been the best Northwestern team to take to the court since the NCAA tournament began.
The NIT-selection committee though didn’t see it that way.
Northwestern was “rewarded” for its season by being sent on the road… to Tulsa… to play on a channel that most people in Chicago don’t get on cable.
Who says that Northwestern doesn’t get any respect?
At least the game will be on WGN Radio. Or that is the plan right now until that pesky team called the Blackhawks finds a way to bump them.
But the more pressing question, other than where anyone in Chicago will see this game, is why didn’t Northwestern rate a home game based on its body of work?
The team took the announcement in stride though.
“It would have been nice for our fans to have a home game because they’ve been great all year for us and have one more game at Welsh-Ryan but it’s fine,” said senior Craig Moore.
But something about the snub still stinks.
Notre Dame, who finished with a similar record, scored less Top-50 wins and exited their conference tournament about the same time that the Wildcats did, received a No. 2 seed.
Take the names off the jerseys, put the records on paper in front of people and then try and explain that decision.
Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
But such is life in the purple and white.
If Northwestern passes its first test on Wednesday night, the ‘Cats will take on the winner of Auburn and Tennessee-Martin. On the other side of the bracket await Baylor, Georgetown, Virginia Tech and Duquesne.
It isn’t exactly the toughest road to Madison Square Garden, but it certainly won’t be easy for the Wildcats.
Maybe that’s why coach Bill Carmody is only focusing on the first game against Tulsa, a team that the Wildcats have never played, and don’t know anything about -- other than watching them get blown out by Memphis.
So it is back to work for the ‘Cats.
“I saw the game against Memphis but I don’t know much about them,” Moore said. “We’ll come in this week and figure them out.”
For more info: NIT Bracket
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