Teams that have turned down the NIT

I don’t understand turning down the NIT, especially a team like St John’s

Just cancel the whole damn thing

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I don’t understand turning down the NIT, especially a team like St John’s

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The players have been constantly practicing since October. At this point in the season they are all dealing with some degree of injury/pain. They don’t feel like going through more work for a basically meaningless tournament. No different from football players opting out of a non-playoff bowl game.

Now there isn’t even the carrot of playing Madison Square Garden. The final four is in a relatively small gym in Indianapolis

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I don’t understand turning down the NIT, especially a team like St John’s

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Given Rick Pitino's comments on barstool interview about having to recruit a whole new team I can see why.

If schools finish the season terribly (See Ole Miss going 2-9) or they have players that are wanting out (LSU Ben Simmons year) it doesn't really make sense to play meaningless games.

Really it only makes sense if you are like LSU this year where you will probably get most of your team back. Get guys like Ward, Reid, Williams, some extra reps and build momentum going into next season.

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They don’t feel like going through more work for a basically meaningless tournament.

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if you opt out of the NIT, you should get opted out the next time you make the NCAA as well

I bet that would make them play

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Really it only makes sense if you are like LSU this year where you will probably get most of your team back. Get guys like Ward, Reid, Williams, some extra reps and build momentum going into next season

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Vandy played in it last year expecting to get 7 of their 8 top players back for this year…then 4 of those guys left. They probably would have been better suited hitting the transfer trail than playing for another week or so

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Use the NIT to put 4 teams in the big dance. Qualifier

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How's that gonna work, since they run concurrently?

Well we saw it in CFB...basically turning down big bowl games not in the playoffs by opting out.

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if quality teams decline to participate

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"Any team that declines participation in the NIT shall be deemed ineligible for the next year's NCAA or NIT tournaments." - NCAA, probably

Transfer portal opens tomorrow...

If you are in the NIT you can't really recruit over your guys and also how many players will also try to opt out of the NIT to transfer?