The NIT Championship Game Ruled, Congrats To Seton Hall And Indiana State For Proving The Haters Wrong
Never thought I'd utter these words, but what an NIT Championship! Congrats to Seton Hall on being the tallest little person. The Big East got screwed, and both these teams got hosed by the NCAA on Selection Sunday. The entire NIT tourney Seton Hall and the Sycamores proved they deserved to be in the big dance. I think the committee just straight up hated the Big East, while I understand Indiana State didn't have enough Quad 1 wins to make the tournament. BUT, anyone who knows ball could tell that both teams belonged in March Madness. I mean, anyone with eyeballs can see that Robbie Avila is a character made for March with one of the best nicknames in sports, Cream Abdul Jabbar.
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If you didn't watch the NIT because you're above watching a good game, shame on you. You've got more teams than ever passing up the invite to the lesser March Madness, BUT there is another problem with the NIT, and it's that the location of the finals needs to be fixed. I love Indiana more than anything, Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of the best basketball venues in sports, but no college kid wants to make a trip to central Indiana. Earning a trip to Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball, is 100% cooler for a college athlete than seeing Indianapolis. Yes, Hinkle was sold out, but that's only because Indiana State is in Terre Haute which is a little more than an hour drive from Indianapolis. I'm sure attendance to the NIT games and cost of it being in NYC wasn't the the best, but getting to travel to places you might never get the chance to visit is one of the underrated parts of being a college athlete.
Now the NIT is going to have competition, with a great location in Sin City. I'm not sure if The College Basketball Crown will ever take off, but at least this tourney is thinking about what players and fans would enjoy. Indiana loves their basketball, but if Indiana State wasn't in the championship, would the NIT have gone so well?
Congrats to Seton Hall for winning the NIT, and to Indiana State for proving the selection committee wrong. Congrats to the biggest Seton Hall fan I know, Frank The Tank, the curse is over.
Both teams can now forever say they could have made a run in the NCAA tourney without ever having to play in the big dance.