While the one thing that's easy for everyone to say is that they want the tournament win this year, Which do you think is better for the health and momentum of the program out of winning at least a couple NIT games with one being on the road, or an NCAA one and done.

Part of me thinks that the hardest postseason game for the kids to win the first, so I would almost think it's better to have the momentum from a couple NIT wins this year, then hopefully build on it into an NCAA win or two next year. Even when we got the CIT wins, I thought that was good for the program to get those in contrast to the NCAA one and dones we were sick of. It's like in football, there's a reason we schedule an FCS game rather than loading the schedule with P5 teams just to feel good about playing them tough. You could make a case that it would be nice to go into the 2020 NCAA Tournament knowing how to win a postseason game from doing it the year before, even if it's not NCAA, whereas a NCAA one and done this year could create a mental block thinking it's hard to win in the postseason.

But you could also make a case that you experience the NCAA Tournament only in the NCAA Tournament and that playing on that stage this year, even going one and done, prepares them for the stage the following year in ways even the NIT does not.

We did get our last win, the 01 win, with kids who experienced the tournament the year before. I remember reading one comment that the second time around, they weren't in awe of how big the arena was like the first time. I'm sure you can find tons of examples to make cases either way, as to if it's better for underdog teams to be experiencing it for the first time or to know what it's like.

Finally, while we as fans liked being placed at the closest to home sites in Boise, Spokane and Tucson, maybe the players felt more pressure having to win to take advantage of the close site, while playing back east would help them play loose.

If we were any good at NIT games I would say go that route, but since we stink in the NIT, we might as well just go win one in the tourney.

My preference would be to land as an 11 or 12 seed in a First Four game in the NCAA tournament. That gives us the best chance to win an NCAA tourney game.

If we do get in, there’s a good chance that’s exactly what happens.

Not even a question. NCAA

I will always take an NCAA bid, even if it means a first round L.


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I would much rather see us win, or perhaps even make the final 4 of the NIT, than lose the first round of NCAAs. It makes the season longer and offers decent competition along the way.

The Big Dance baby. The only way to get some national exposure. No one fills out an NIT bracket.

AGGIEinIOWA wrote:The Big Dance baby. The only way to get some national exposure. No one fills out an NIT bracket.

Exactly. For the majority of the population no one will know the teams that had good seasons and made the NIT, except for the fans of those teams.

Getting into the NCAA tourney offers so much more exposure than we could get elsewhere.

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I can’t remember any players or coaches ever saying their goal is to make the NIT.

I only remember people saying their goal is to win the NIT after they don’t make the big Dance.

Would you rather have a 1 in 10,000 chance at winning $10 million or a 1 in 2 chance of winning a chewed stick of gum?

Pacobag wrote: ↑

February 9th, 2019, 8:08 am

I can’t remember any players or coaches ever saying their goal is to make the NIT.

I only remember people saying their goal is to win the NIT after they don’t make the big Dance.

Would you rather have a 1 in 10,000 chance at winning $10 million or a 1 in 2 chance of winning a chewed stick of gum?

Gum! Gum! Gum! Oh wait... I see your point.
Haha joking aside, I totally agree with you. Smith has repeatedly talked about how their goal is to make the NCAA tourney. Why not shoot for the top, eh? This team keeps defying expectations, why not raise those expectations a bit?

The U made a run to the championship game of the NIT last year, and now they are a mediocre team in a historically bad year for their conference.

In other words, take the NCAA every single time.

And I honestly had forgot about the fact that they almost won the NIT. Nobody really cares about it except for the teams playing. Not saying I’m not happy that we will likely be in it (or at least that), but the NCAA tournament is better by a long shot!

NO brainer. The NCAA is the big dance. The NIT is a good tournament, but it is a lesser tournament. The big dance is what I want.


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Easy. Always go to the NCAA.

You take the NCAA tourney every time, but I wouldn't mind a deep NIT run if we don't make the big dance. (Which we won't make unless we win 3 games in Vegas)

With so many key players returning next year, you want them to taste what it feels like to be in the Big Dance. It's a huge difference between playing in a game where the whole country is focused on your game in some form or fashion and playing a home game against a Big Sky team where only fans care.

IMHO, making a lesser tournament is never better for the health of a program than making the Big Dance. Unless you win the lesser tournament, and even then it's questionable.

I would take a first round NCAA tournament loss over any lesser tournament...even if that lesser tournament is a deep run to the CIT finals against the mighty Mercer Bears.

With ANYTHING in life, why think and dream small? The NIT is nothing compared to the NCAA’s. It drives me crazy when people say, “we haven’t been to the big dance for awhile, so let’s not go quite yet. We need to go to a smaller under appreciated tourney, where we can at least have a chance to win at least one game.”

Please, please, those of you who feel this way, don’t ever be our coach, or any of my kids and grandkids coach.

No kidding. Tell Taylor and Brown that they should go to the NIT instead of the tourney.

Be the best you can be today. Each year/team is different.

Many years ago (and my memory is a little fuzzy) I read a headline that said BSU's college of engineering is rated the 31st best in the U.S. Then I read a little further and in smaller print it stated something like, "Of all the universities that don't offer Engineering PhDs, BSU is ranked 31st. Not very meaningful when all of the best schools are excluded, kind of like the NIT.

pablohoney wrote: ↑

February 12th, 2019, 12:06 pm

I would take a first round NCAA tournament loss over any lesser tournament...even if that lesser tournament is a deep run to the CIT finals against the mighty Mercer Bears.

Ok let's not get crazy. Many of those Mercer players that beat us in 2012 also beat the Jabari Parker/Seth Curry Duke team in 2014, but I'm sure if you asked them, they would take their CIT championship.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 12:08 am

Ok let's not get crazy. Many of those Mercer players that beat us in 2012 also beat the Jabari Parker/Seth Curry Duke team in 2014, but I'm sure if you asked them, they would take their CIT championship.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

Assuming you are being serious, I suppose it's slightly possible you're right, but I have to believe that beating the 3-seeded Blue Devils on a national stage did more for that program and was a lot more exciting to the Mercer players than winning a CIT Championship -- particularly when 95% of actual basketball fans literally have no idea that there is even a CIT tournament. MILLIONS more people were talking about Mercer after they beat Duke than they were after they won the CIT Championship. How many people tuned into that CIT Championship game? Literally tens of fans?

While getting to the Dance should always be the goal getting a deep run in a lesser tournament can be quite helpful. The CBI title in Muss' first year was really important.

1. This was a team who won 7 division 1 games, 2 of those against San Jose State, the year before. They were as down as it gets. The CBI run greased the wheels considerably for what came next.

2. They got a couple extra weeks of practice and 6 more games.

3. They got on TV during the hottest month for college basketball viewership. Not big numbers but players from all over had a chance to see them

4. Credibility for first time college head coach Mussleman. While he already had Marcus Marshall and Caroline sitting out, The Martins, Stephens and Cooke probably got their first look at the Pack during that tourney.

5 Nice crowds for the home games during the tourney that transitioned to increased season ticket sales during the offseason

I think USU still has a solid shot to make the NCAA's but if you don't I certainly wouldn't dismiss the potential benefits of playing in the postseason as not worth much.

Your situation was not nearly as bleak as what Muss inherited but you have a coach and a team that is back on the map. Getting that good news out in front of a lot of people even in a lesser tourney can really help the big picture.

nvspuds wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 1:45 pm

While getting to the Dance should always be the goal getting a deep run in a lesser tournament can be quite helpful. The CBI title in Muss' first year was really important.

1. This was a team who won 7 division 1 games, 2 of those against San Jose State, the year before. They were as down as it gets. The CBI run greased the wheels considerably for what came next.

2. They got a couple extra weeks of practice and 6 more games.

3. They got on TV during the hottest month for college basketball viewership. Not big numbers but players from all over had a chance to see them

4. Credibility for first time college head coach Mussleman. While he already had Marcus Marshall and Caroline sitting out, The Martins, Stephens and Cooke probably got their first look at the Pack during that tourney.

5 Nice crowds for the home games during the tourney that transitioned to increased season ticket sales during the offseason

I think USU still has a solid shot to make the NCAA's but if you don't I certainly wouldn't dismiss the potential benefits of playing in the postseason as not worth much.

Your situation was not nearly as bleak as what Muss inherited but you have a coach and a team that is back on the map. Getting that good news out in front of a lot of people even in a lesser tourney can really help the big picture.

Oh as I said I would love a deep NIT run if we happened to fall there. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the 2004 Hawaii loss. However as you said and as we all believe going to the NCAA tournament is far better than any other option. A deep NIT run would be fun for me and other Aggie fans. A deep NCAA tournament run would give us positive national exposure for a month. It would literally create thousands of new Aggie fans.

ChicAggie wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 10:42 am

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 12:08 am

Ok let's not get crazy. Many of those Mercer players that beat us in 2012 also beat the Jabari Parker/Seth Curry Duke team in 2014, but I'm sure if you asked them, they would take their CIT championship.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

Assuming you are being serious, I suppose it's slightly possible you're right, but I have to believe that beating the 3-seeded Blue Devils on a national stage did more for that program and was a lot more exciting to the Mercer players than winning a CIT Championship -- particularly when 95% of actual basketball fans literally have no idea that there is even a CIT tournament. MILLIONS more people were talking about Mercer after they beat Duke than they were after they won the CIT Championship. How many people tuned into that CIT Championship game? Literally tens of fans?

Your sarcasm meter is broken. Although there were thousands of fans at the CIT Title game. That was the one game in that tournament fans actually showed up for.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 2:31 pm

nvspuds wrote: ↑

February 14th, 2019, 1:45 pm

While getting to the Dance should always be the goal getting a deep run in a lesser tournament can be quite helpful. The CBI title in Muss' first year was really important.

1. This was a team who won 7 division 1 games, 2 of those against San Jose State, the year before. They were as down as it gets. The CBI run greased the wheels considerably for what came next.

2. They got a couple extra weeks of practice and 6 more games.

3. They got on TV during the hottest month for college basketball viewership. Not big numbers but players from all over had a chance to see them

4. Credibility for first time college head coach Mussleman. While he already had Marcus Marshall and Caroline sitting out, The Martins, Stephens and Cooke probably got their first look at the Pack during that tourney.

5 Nice crowds for the home games during the tourney that transitioned to increased season ticket sales during the offseason

I think USU still has a solid shot to make the NCAA's but if you don't I certainly wouldn't dismiss the potential benefits of playing in the postseason as not worth much.

Your situation was not nearly as bleak as what Muss inherited but you have a coach and a team that is back on the map. Getting that good news out in front of a lot of people even in a lesser tourney can really help the big picture.

Oh as I said I would love a deep NIT run if we happened to fall there. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the 2004 Hawaii loss. However as you said and as we all believe going to the NCAA tournament is far better than any other option. A deep NIT run would be fun for me and other Aggie fans. A deep NCAA tournament run would give us positive national exposure for a month. It would literally create thousands of new Aggie fans.

I disagree somewhat. I don't think a deep run gets anybody thousands of new fans..Most fans just root for their own school's team.
You can get back your own casual fans though.