(03-12-2021, 12:02 PM)winflop Wrote: I'm not even sure if a bid will be forthcoming after the last four weeks.
Yeah, that's worth mentioning. Instead of 32 teams the NIT will only have 16, all bubbled in the DFW area. Normally, bids are guaranteed for regular season league champs who lose in their conference tournaments, but that's being dispensed with this year.
The current NET rankings in the Pac-12:
1. Colorado at #12 national ranking
2. USC at #14
3. Oregon at #32
4. Arizona at #46
5. UCLA at #47
6. Stanford at #78
7. Utah at #87
8. Oregon State at #101
9. Washington State at #105
10. Arizona State at #117
According to ESPN, Colorado, USC and Oregon are locks for the NCAA tournament, and UCLA is safely in as well. Arizona's season is over.
Assuming the NIT takes at least one team from the Pac-12, they would choose between Stanford, Utah, OSU, WSU and ASU. OSU and Stanford tied for 6th in conference and were 1-1 head-to-head. If you go strictly by NET, you take Stanford. A more nuanced consideration: Utah split against Stanford but has a losing record overall and in conference. OSU split against Stanford and has a winning record overall but a NET>100. WSU split against Stanford and has a winning record overall but losing record in conference. ASU beat Stanford but has a losing record overall and in conference.
Only 84 teams out of 347 will be invited to postseason play. Based on NET rankings, season results and teams dropping out, I think Stanford would be the most likely from the Pac-12 to get an NIT bid, given that the NET of ESPN's teams first eight out range from 45 to 68. I'm also assuming that OSU loses to Oregon today, which may or may not come true. Finally, I have no idea what other criteria the selection committee will use or if they will even feel obligated to take a team from the Pac-12.
If there's one thing people have learned in Berkeley, it's that you can't put "Cal football" and "Rose Bowl" in the same sentence. The words just don't fit. You'd be better off linking "covered wagons" with "Mars travel." (Bruce Jenkins, Cal '70, SF Chronicle, Nov. 11, 2017)
