Post by GuyF on Mar 8, 2011 11:19:15 GMT -5
Last year marked the glorious return of Iona to among the top MAAC teams, but it ended in a very sour way--not just because we lost early in the tournament, but because we did not play in the postseason even though we earned it. There are lots of versions as to what happened, but they're irrelevant now, and the fact is that even a C Tournament would have been nice to have been a part of, given what we (and the team!) endured the 3 years leading up to that.
This year, we find ourselves in a similar spot, though a stronger one. Our RPI is 69 this morning, and with SPC now cracking the top 100 we have 5 wins over top 100 teams. We finished winning 9 of our last 10 and reached the finals of our conference tournament. This should be enough for an NIT bid.
I've got two "NIT bracketology" sites for us to keep an eye on. Neither has been updated through last night's games, however. But here they are.
www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-college-basketball/2011/03/nit-bracketology---a-human-takes-a-shot.html
bracketproject.50webs.com/nit.html
Fairfield is projected as a lower seed in both of these. Iona's profile is much stronger, even though we didn't win our league. I think we have a shot for a 4-5 game, and possibly hosting. This would be a great opportunity! And I do think we have the type of team that, assuming this loss doesn't linger too long, could make a run in the NIT. Think about reaching the semis at the Garden!
On the flip side, should we be deemed not worthy for an NIT bid--and really, who the hell knows what the NIT will come up with--then I think Iona should do what it has to do to play in one of the C Tournaments. I don't care what it costs--go schedule an extra guarantee game or two next year to cover it. This team has earned the right for another game, and the PROGRAM deserves it after NOT getting the opportunity last year.
This year, we find ourselves in a similar spot, though a stronger one. Our RPI is 69 this morning, and with SPC now cracking the top 100 we have 5 wins over top 100 teams. We finished winning 9 of our last 10 and reached the finals of our conference tournament. This should be enough for an NIT bid.
I've got two "NIT bracketology" sites for us to keep an eye on. Neither has been updated through last night's games, however. But here they are.
www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-college-basketball/2011/03/nit-bracketology---a-human-takes-a-shot.html
bracketproject.50webs.com/nit.html
Fairfield is projected as a lower seed in both of these. Iona's profile is much stronger, even though we didn't win our league. I think we have a shot for a 4-5 game, and possibly hosting. This would be a great opportunity! And I do think we have the type of team that, assuming this loss doesn't linger too long, could make a run in the NIT. Think about reaching the semis at the Garden!
On the flip side, should we be deemed not worthy for an NIT bid--and really, who the hell knows what the NIT will come up with--then I think Iona should do what it has to do to play in one of the C Tournaments. I don't care what it costs--go schedule an extra guarantee game or two next year to cover it. This team has earned the right for another game, and the PROGRAM deserves it after NOT getting the opportunity last year.