If you listened to BT & Sal on Monday afternoon, you surely heard Brandon rant about his Johnnies, as well as Seton Hall and Providence, getting snubbed from the NCAA Tournament, leading to St. John’s skipping the NIT by declining their invite.
Know who else was upset the Big East only got three bids? Danny Hurley, head coach of the No. 1 overall seed Big East Champion UConn Huskies, who gave Lori Rubinson – first on the air on WFAN following Selection Sunday – his take on how a conference that was one of the best overall only got three teams into the tournament:
“It was jarring, and you're embarrassed for the league, for such an incredible conference with the history and the tradition, multiple national champions the last couple of years with Villanova and ourselves,” Hurley said. “You would think that that would, that would count for something, and looking at Seton Hall – if we are the second-rated league in the country, to go 13-7 and finish fourth and beat us and Marquette and not be in?”
Same goes for the Friars and Johnnies.
“Providence a win versus Wisconsin, two wins versus Creighton, a win versus Marquette as well, and splitting with Seton Hall, that’s stunning,” Hurley said. “St. John's as well was a team that, whether they had all of the metrics or not, their KenPom when we played them was 25, and they certainly gave us everything that we wanted on Friday night in MSG. So it’s bad, and I think it's a mistake. The selection committee has a lot to consider, but I think they got it wrong.”