NIT...WHY???

[SoonerMike]

Why did OU decline to pay in the NIT?
Extra practice, more games. Seems strange to me. Does anyone know any real information. I can speculate about players planning to transfer out, or coaches unsure about their job, or wanting to focus on getting recruits and transfers for next year, or worried that injured players won't be ready. But that is just assumptions without any basis of fact.

[Zgeo]

IDK but coach is leaving …..I assume he may have had a team vote since it was for them and not for the coach

[inconnu]

Sort of like a minor bowl game in football. But it seems the NIT doesn't have the pressure to accept an invitation like a minor bowl in football does. I wouldn't be all that upset if OU dropped men's basketball, since OKC has a pro team.

[Zgeo]

I guess the coach i not leaving, so idk

It was a snub to not get MM since metrics said we should be in, i would skip nit after a snub

[Bixby_Sooner]

Yes, they were 20-12 overall. Normally 20 wins is a pretty solid number; however they were 8-10 in the conference and lost in the first round of the conference tournament. There were injuries, but even when they weren't injured, they didn't play consistently well, having to come from behind for wins as they struggled against lesser teams all season long.

I agree with the "it wasn't a snub" crowd. The fact that they turned down the NIT, says something about where this team is right now. My next item of interest will be how busy will the transfer portal be - in and out? The same for the staff. Regardless of what the answer is to those questions, August 31, can't get here soon enough for me.

[SwampSooner]

A few weeks back, Ikard discussed NIL and that OU is struggling a bit to make the $9 million they need for the football team. Makes me wonder how much they can muster for the basketball team. (Aside - A$M supposedly has a $40 million war chest, yet we are beating them in recruiting. Says something about what OU offers the recruits, i.e., the SOUL Mission and THE Reputation of our coaching staff).

I would suspect that it is a combination of things that made them turn down the NIT. My guess at a few are: The injuries have mounted (3 starters out in the TCU loss a couple of other players are nicked up); disappointment on not making the NCAAs; OU would have to guarantee the NIT ticket sales; the last half of the season probably weighing heavy on their want to play. Also,several other schools have turned down the NIT invitation, so they see the turn-down a legitimate option.

[SwampSooner]

Yes, they were 20-12 overall. Normally 20 wins is a pretty solid number; however they were 8-10 in the conference and lost in the first round of the conference tournament. There were injuries, but even when they weren't injured, they didn't play consistently well, having to come from behind for wins as they struggled against lesser teams all season long.

I agree with the "it wasn't a snub" crowd. The fact that they turned down the NIT, says something about where this team is right now. My next item of interest will be how busy will the transfer portal be - in and out? The same for the staff. Regardless of what the answer is to those questions, August 31, can't get here soon enough for me.

Whether it was a snub or not, it does say volumes about NCAA hypocrisy. They want teams to play tough opposition but then refuse to reward the teams that do so. One bracketology had Miss St, Texas A$M and Michigan St all with worse "measurables" than OU, yet they are in and we are not.

[Brisket]

Sooner Scoop did a youtube video/podcast yesterday reacting to not getting the invitation to the dance. They pulled back to look at the big picture of the basketball program, & it's not good - and many of the issues facing it won't change with a new coach. We know about LNC and the off-campus arena proposal. Facilities have been horribly neglected since the Kelvin Sampson days. With all the investments into other programs, I would love for a media member to ask Joe C about why very little has been invested into the basketball programs.

NIL continues to be a big issue. According to the Scoop guys, who we see entering the portal will tell us a lot about the state of the NIL program. According to them, if you see Moore & McCollum come back, NIL is in decent shape. If they enter the portal, it isn't. Either way, expect another year of significant roster overhaul. It's not a sustainable structure, but it is what OU & most other programs have to deal with annually.