I know we all want to concentrate on making the big dance, but the reality is, if we don't win the tourney, it's not happening.  According to a couple of projections I've read, we are a bubble team for the NIT along with WMU. I was hoping we had locked up an at large bid to the NIT, but that's not the case. Could we really be destine for the CIT or CBI? see: http://www.bankrollsports.com/blog/nit-bracketology/>

There's zero value in being in the NIT.  It's just a somewhat visible reminder to recruits that you didn't quality for The Dance.  It's almost embarrassing.

Ive always liked the bracket project's web site (LINK).  For the NCAA tournament, they have 96 bracket projections that they average.  The matrix is interesting to look at.

They have an NIT projection page (LINK) as well.  They currently have Ohio as a 4 Seed in the Ole Miss bracket hosting Charlotte in the first round.

The also rank to bracket projections (LINK) based on past performance.  For reference, they rank The Washington Post - Eric Prisbell as the best, with ESPN / Lunardi coming in at #36

I said it's almost embarrassing - as in, something you almost don't want your friends to know.  And, yes, the Potato Bowl and Independence Bowl fall into the same category.  Win a league championship and go to a bowl?  I'd be all over that.
 

If we don't win the MAC tourney we will get an NIT bid unless Akron doesn't win it either.

Huge difference between NIT and the other two no-name tournaments. It's a real tournament with real history and real national TV for every game. A chance to play a couple more games against quality competition. It's not what I want, but it's far from insulting or embarrassing as a consolation prize.

The "extra practice time" benefit is real in football, not so much in basketball.  These guys are playing "pick up" games as a team all spring and summer...with coaches pretending not to pay attention.

That is just lflat out wrong. CBI and CIT wins also help the program whether they embarrass you or not. You come up with some doozies but this one is just flat out wrong. If it embarrasses you then so be it because it is so important to the program that Groce had it written in his contract that they would never pass up the possibility of playing in them if presented with a chance.  

Butler used their  CBI experience and parlayed it in a down year and were not so embarrassed after two NCAA runner ups to take the chance to put together a run that taught the frosh and kids who came out of the gate this year to play deep and hard. .... . We beat marshall at their place inthe post season and have never looked back. Both of our post season tourneys not named NCAA have been followed by NCAA wins and advancement. .

There is no substitute for post season win or go home experience. You have either been there done and learned a lesson or you did not.

I will take a stand here and tell you it makes a difference. The experience you gain makes a difference.

Any time there's another chance to watch DJ and the other seniors play, I'm all for it.

Totally agree -- I'm just saying that far from being an embarrassment, the NIT is a clear tier 2, the other two could be lumped together on a third.

The fact of the matter is that the last spot in the last of these tournaments is still harder to obtain than a low-end football bowl. Institutional financials generally are better than the low end bowls, too.

No one here, especially me, is ever going to tell you not to express an opinion.

I hope no one ever tells me not to either. I keep my opinions to my self a LOT anyway.

I do expect to be called out if I am flat out wrong or even a bit wrong ......and I hope discussion ensues backed by facts and justifications for dissenting opinions.

Respect your opinion and saw the same discussion by embarrassed fans on the Butler board last year. They thougt it was beneath them to take a CBI bid after 2 successful NCAA tourneys but then they ran Penn and Pitt in that tourney that was filled with some pretty good hoops names.. Stevens addressed his philosophy in the media and used the experience to get his team together so they came out of the gate rollin in Hawaii this year. Butler fans had the satisfaction that even though they were not playing in the NCAA or NIT......IU did not get asked to any of the 4 tourneys.

What's our NIT chances if we win our next three?