NIT Round 1 - Bradley 74 Loyola 62

[Stryker]

With all due respect to everyone, attendance has NOTHING to do with why Bradley would or would not get a home game. A few of the Power 6 conferences almost made an agreement with Fox to play in a Vegas postseason tournament for the top Power 6 teams that didn't make the NCAA field. They did this because they didn't like how North Texas and UAB played for the NIT championship last year. Numerous Power 6 teams lost in the NIT to the mid-majors and this motivated the Power 6 to look for more advantages and this Vegas tournament.

So in an effort to appease the Power 6 to NOT breakaway, the NIT made a change on their own to reward 12 "autobids" to the top 2 finishers in the Power 6 leagues that do not make the NCAA tournament. They will give those 12 autobid teams home games in the NIT. That leaves only 4 home game slots for the rest of the 20 teams that make the NIT. So to get a home game, you have to picked as one of the 4 best "at large" teams. So think possibly Indiana St. if they get snubbed by the NCAA committee, but beyond that it will be tough to get an NIT home game as a non-Power 6 league team.

The NIT also removed the conference "autobid" for the regular season champs in a league. Interestingly, that probably helps teams like Bradley who are strong mid-majors. The lower conferences get screwed in this, but Bradley is in good shape to make the NIT as they are one of the best 20 eligible teams after you take out the top 12 Power 6 teams after the NCAA's.

Again - all due respect, but attendance has nothing to do with this. The Power 6 leagues simply did NOT want to have to play more road games against non-Power 6 teams for fear of losing/nothing to gain in their eyes.

Exactly right. This change is going to remove chances at home games in the NIT, but for mid majors with NETs in the 50-80s that miss the NCAA tournament, it will likely increase their chances a great deal of being in the NIT.

[Buxcies07]

I'll be curious to see how many teams opt out of the NIT. Last year Dayton and UNC declined invitations, and now that the seal has been broken I'd expect a few teams every year decline to participate. Does a team like Ohio State who will be conducting a coaching search choose not to play?

[Da Coach]

Looks like Loyola will be in the mix for an NIT bid. They just got beat and eliminated from the A-10 tournament by St. Bonaventure 75-74 in double OT. - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401625551
Loyola ends their season with a nice record, 23-9, and they finished 15-3 in the conference regular season. But their NET rank is 84, too high to expect an at-large NCAA bid.
That NET of 84 combined with playing in a non-power conference means if they are in the NIT, they won't get seeded high enough to get a home game.

[Stryker]

Looks like Loyola will be in the mix for an NIT bid. They just got beat and eliminated from the A-10 tournament by St. Bonaventure 75-74 in double OT. - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401625551
Loyola ends their season with a nice record, 23-9, and they finished 15-3 in the conference regular season. But their NET rank is 84, too high to expect an at-large NCAA bid.
That NET of 84 combined with playing in a non-power conference means if they are in the NIT, they won't get seeded high enough to get a home game.

With the A10 being down so much this year, I agree. It is likely Dayton will the A10 conference champion and the A10 is a 1-bid league this year. Quite a down turn overall for that conference. However, Loyola had a much improved season this year after finishing last. I was surprised by it and did not expect to see it.

[Da Coach]

Bradley fans might have reason to be a bit worried after all the conference tournament upsets and bubble teams being pushed out of NCAA Tournament bids. It means Indiana State likely is not going to get an at-large bid to the NCAAT, but it also means there are extra teams being bumped to the NIT.
Could Bradley now be on the bubble for an NIT bid?

[LittleBrave]

Bradley fans might have reason to be a bit worried after all the conference tournament upsets and bubble teams being pushed out of NCAA Tournament bids. It means Indiana State likely is not going to get an at-large bid to the NCAAT, but it also means there are extra teams being bumped to the NIT.
Could Bradley now be on the bubble for an NIT bid?

I really don't think there is much doubt that Indy St will get an At-Large bid. I could be wrong, but I'd be shocked. If they had lost to Drake by 15 or more, I'd be a bit worried, but they had an incredible season.

[ManMythLegend]

I really don't think there is much doubt that Indy St will get an At-Large bid. I could be wrong, but I'd be shocked. If they had lost to Drake by 15 or more, I'd be a bit worried, but they had an incredible season.

Did you see all the bid steals today? Indiana States chances of getting an at large just went to near 0. But I don't think even with the bid steals that BU will be left out of the NIT.

[Da Coach]

Unfortunately, it is pretty much a given that Indiana State is no longer in the 68-team NCAA field. With North Carolina State (NET was 68 ) and Oregon (NET was 61) winning their conference tournaments and stealing bids, every expert now has Indiana State out, and most have 2 or 3 teams ahead of them as bubble teams.

See the latest ESPN and CBSSports.com bracketology- https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/sp...606#post517606

[houstonbrave]

Most of the predictions I have seen predict us going to Iowa city. It’s easier to get there from Peoria than it is from Houston !!!

[BengalFan]

As of this morning, Barking Crow shows us playing Cincinnati. Kansas State plays Iowa.

[Classof77]

I'll just be happy to play somebody, because I have thought since our tournament Drake gets the NCAA, ISUB gets the NIT, and we get nothing. The power conferences won't stand for the MVC taking a second berth from them.

[BengalFan]

ISU got screwed.

[Da Coach]

The NIT Selection Show is on ESPN2 at 8:30 pm Central. It will also be streamed on ESPN+.

[Stevezall]

Indiana State with a 29 net!!! That's the highest NET EVER to be excluded from NCAA consideration! Now they need to WIN 5 games in the State of Indiana!!! They will have home court all the way if they keep winning! However, with so many upsets this year in tourney play, there will be a good amount of very good teams in the NIT! To win this year's NIT, Indiana State will have to play at its highest level all year! Their odds of winning it really are not great! It's tough and even tougher this year!!!! I'll be happy if Bradley can just get a win on the road! I'm going if they play Cincinnati!

[Da Coach]

It would be nice if Indiana State gets an opening round home game, but that is not assured. The NIT selection committee (which is different than the NCAA committee) can screw them again, since they are committed to giving 12 of the 16 home games in the first round to the Power 6 conference teams.