NIT expert John Templon believes Rutgers basketball could be poised for a tournament run.
Rutgers basketball is heading for postseason basketball and while the NIT may not have been the team’s goal, it still represents a chance for the program to play at a very high level and compete for a trophy. And for those who watch the tournament closely, this Rutgers team has the chance to make a deep run in the tournament.
Following the decision to not include Rutgers basketball in the NCAA Tournament field, the program accepted a bid to the NIT. Their NIT schedule opens tonight when they host Hofstra.
John Templon has a passion and love for the NIT, having covered the tournament for over a decade via his website, NIT Bracketology. He sees Rutgers, coming off the disappointment of not making the NCAA Tournament, as primed to make a run now in the NIT.
“There’s a chance that Rutgers could make a big run this season. I think Steve Pikiell is an excellent game-planning coach and that helps in these sorts of situations,” Templon told Rutgers Wire.
“Other teams I’m intrigued by in the bracket are Utah Valley, which had a great season in the WAC, and North Texas, which is a lockdown defensive team.”
There was some controversy about Rutgers apparently being snubbed for the NCAA Tournament, given that their resume stacked up very well against the likes of North Carolina State and Providence, both of whom made the tournament.
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Templon, tracks these NCAA Tournament bubble teams for obvious reasons. He wasn’t necessarily surprised that Rutgers wasn’t included in the field for the NCAA Tournament as he saw many of the same holes in the resume that the selection committee also saw.
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“I think I was one of the very few people who had some serious concerns about Rutgers’s resume heading into the weekend,” Templon said.
“The Scarlet Knights had an incredibly anomalous resume because they had so many good wins, but also losses to teams like Temple, Minnesota and Nebraska. In addition, they hadn’t played as well since Mawot Mag had gotten hurt – losing seven of 10, albeit against a difficult schedule.
“Those factors gave me concerns about how the NCAA selection committee would treat their case. I wavered back-and-forth on whether Rutgers would end up in the NIT for most of the week.”
Want to learn more about the NIT? Check out John Templon’s website, NIT Bracketology. And make sure to give him a follow on Twitter @nybuckets.
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