March Madness has arrived, and actually starts Tuesday with the first round of the NIT and the first two games of the First Four – but seven teams that could’ve been in either one will NOT be playing, as Indiana, Memphis, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, St. John's and Washington all declined NIT bids after being left out of the NCAA Tournament.
Given that the NCAA Tournament Committee chair said five bids were stolen, at least two of those teams were ticketed for the NIT anyway – and Tom Crean on ESPN’s coverage lashed out at those squads that did skip the NIT for losing opportunities for those kids.
You can take a listen above as the Junkies discuss that situation, and then Chris Knoche, our color analyst on Maryland basketball broadcasts and a former head coach himself, weighs in on that situation as well as what could be a wild Big Dance.
