the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

of course since this is run by FOX, the only conferences that get auto bid are the Big 10, Big 12, Big East

For me, it makes a lot more sense to add 4 more teams to the current 68 team NCAA tournament

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39868485/fox-aeg-launch-new-postseason-basketball-tournament

HoopDreams said:

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the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

of course since this is run by FOX, the only conferences that get auto bid are the Big 10, Big 12, Big East

For me, it makes a lot more sense to add 4 more teams to the current 68 team NCAA tournament

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39868485/fox-aeg-launch-new-postseason-basketball-tournament

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13-19 Cal was 10th in the PAC-12 and #128 in the country in NET Rankings.

19-4 Utah #48 in NET Rankings went. The only team with a losing record was 16-17 Xavier who was #64 in the NET Rankings.

Pretty sure Cal was not invited to the NIT.

Maybe the CIT? They had two teams with losing records.

calumnus said:

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HoopDreams said:

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the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

of course since this is run by FOX, the only conferences that get auto bid are the Big 10, Big 12, Big East

For me, it makes a lot more sense to add 4 more teams to the current 68 team NCAA tournament

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39868485/fox-aeg-launch-new-postseason-basketball-tournament

---

13-19 Cal was 10th in the PAC-12 and #128 in the country in NET Rankings.

Pretty sure we were not invited to the NIT.

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The NIT saw this new tournament coming and to try to fend it off they changed the selection criteria by adding the top two P6 teams by net ranking within the conference.

point is the NIT wanted as more P6 teams in their tournament.

Cal had the 3rd highest NET of the teams that didn't make the NCAA.

1 team above us accepted NIT bid
next team did not
Cal was next up and also declined

bottom line is Cal earned a NIT bid but declined

HoopDreams said:

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calumnus said:

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HoopDreams said:

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the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

of course since this is run by FOX, the only conferences that get auto bid are the Big 10, Big 12, Big East

For me, it makes a lot more sense to add 4 more teams to the current 68 team NCAA tournament

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39868485/fox-aeg-launch-new-postseason-basketball-tournament

---

13-19 Cal was 10th in the PAC-12 and #128 in the country in NET Rankings.

Pretty sure we were not invited to the NIT.

---

The NIT saw this new tournament coming and to try to fend it off they changed the selection criteria by adding the top two P6 teams by net ranking within the conference.

point is the NIT wanted as more P6 teams in their tournament.

Cal had the 3rd highest NET of the teams that didn't make the NCAA.

1 team above us accepted NIT bid
next team did not
Cal was next up and also declined

bottom line is Cal earned a NIT bid but declined

---

Maybe…

Here was the Pac-12 in the NET Rankings:

1. 25-8 Arizona #4
2. 24-20 Colorado #25
3. 24-9 WSU #44
4. 19-14 Utah #48
5. 23-11 Oregon #59
6. 17-15 UW #69
7. 15-18 USC #88
8. 15-17 UCLA #107
9. 14-18 Stanford #113
10. 13-19 Cal #128
11. 14-18 ASU #134
12. 12-19 OSU #165

Arizona, Colorado, WSU and Oregon went to the NCAA.

Utah accepted the NIT bid.

UW would be next but fired their coach.

USC would be next after UW, but their coach left for SMU.

UCLA would be after UW and USC. Plausible that UCLA would consider the NIT "beneath them"

Stanford would be after UW, USC and UCLA, but they also fired their coach.

So it is plausible that Cal could have gotten an invite to the NIT if the NIT must take two from the PAC-12, which would have been amazing. If so, did the players vote against it? Because from a program perspective it would have been a huge opportunity. Just look at the bracket, there are some big names in it.

Then ASU and OSU turned it down too?

HoopDreams said:

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the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

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Teams declined the NIT this year partly because their coaching staffs wanted to concentrate on recruiting transfers from the portal, and more because they were concerned that some of their own players might decline to play in the NIT and enter the portal or the NBA draft, leaving the team short-handed for NIT games.

Fox's tournament will have those same issues. The one thing Fox might offer is to avoid something that also makes "power" teams wary of the NIT: The NIT's tendency to match high-major teams with in-state or local low-major teams, which is an unattractive no-win situation for the high-major team. (Obvious example: Cal vs. Bakersfield in the 2017 NIT.) If Fox quietly promises its Big Ten, Big East, and Big 12 clients that they will only be matched against other high-major teams, they might get a couple of teams who would decline the NIT.

BearSD said:

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HoopDreams said:

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the NIT knew this was coming which is why they invited the top 2 net ranking teams from the P6 conferences this year. Only problem is, many of those teams declined, including Cal

So do we really need another post season tournament?

---

Teams declined the NIT this year partly because their coaching staffs wanted to concentrate on recruiting transfers from the portal, and more because they were concerned that some of their own players might decline to play in the NIT and enter the portal or the NBA draft, leaving the team short-handed for NIT games.

Fox's tournament will have those same issues. The one thing Fox might offer is to avoid something that also makes "power" teams wary of the NIT: The NIT's tendency to match high-major teams with in-state or local low-major teams, which is an unattractive no-win situation for the high-major team. (Obvious example: Cal vs. Bakersfield in the 2017 NIT.) If Fox quietly promises its Big Ten, Big East, and Big 12 clients that they will only be matched against other high-major teams, they might get a couple of teams who would decline the NIT.

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2024 NIT
20-12 Seton Hall #67
21-13 St. Joseph's #92
17-15 LSU #94
18-14 North Texas #79
21-13 Providence #57
19-15 Boston College #81
24-4 Princeton #55
29-12 UNLV #76
20-13 Wake Forrest #43
27-6 App. State #72
17-16 Georgia #100
16-17 Xavier #64
18-14 Virginia Tech #60
23-9 Richmond #73
20-12 Ohio State #49
22-7 Cornell #95
26-6 Indiana State #28
20-12 SMU #65
18-14 Butler #68
18-14 Minnesota #89
22-11 Bradley #57
23-9 Loyola-Chicago #85
20-14 Cincinnati #37
23-10 San Francisco #66
18-15 Villanova #41
22-13 VCU #71
17-15 UCF #61
24-7 South Florida #78
18-14 Iowa #62
19-14 Kansas State #70
19-14 Utah #48
24-9 UC Irvine #77

That was a good lineup. Mostly bubble teams, some that got screwed. Mostly name programs. No team over 100 in NET. Most had 20+ wins. Only one team with a losing record and that was one win under with a #64 NET.

There were a lot of teams more deserving than 13-19 Cal #128, but if we were invited it would have been a great way for all our seniors to go out. I would have watched.

I can think of two reasons Madsen might have rejected an NIT invitation :

• Team chemistry was deteriorating. The top four players he brought in were already thinking about their post-Cal basketball futures.
• He knew the upcoming recruiting job would be huge - better to start on it now rather than have his attention diverted by coaching one or two games in a tournament that only hardcore bball fans watch.