What are our chances of making the NCAA Tournament?

[PimpMario]

What are our chances, based on our current record, schedule, and the way our team is playing that we will make the NCAA tournament?

 

And a better question, what do we have to do to make the NCAA tournament?

 

Does 8-4 in OOC and 8-10 in conference do it?

 

I am thinking it doesn't look very bright but I am admittedly not as up on RPI, selection process, etc. as others.

[huskerbaseball13]

Realistically? Zero. We have talent and some nice pieces but inexperience will kill us in the big ten. We will be no fun to play at home but will struggle on the road. As I said in the preseason. NIT would be a good year for this group.

[GoBigRed]

Seriously? Probably not exactly the best day to pose this question, after we were down by 34? to a probable 7-10 seed yesterday. We aren't going to make the NCAA Tournament, let alone the NIT.

 

That said, in a pipedreamer's world...8-4 in non-conference with absolutely no significant wins would probably mean a bare minimum of 11-7 in the Big Ten and a win in the conference tournament. We'd be 20-12 and I wouldn't even feel good about that. 12-6 would be hard to ignore in one of the top conferences in the nation though. That said, again, pipedream.

[PimpMario]

Realistically? Zero. We have talent and some nice pieces but inexperience will kill us in the big ten. We will be no fun to play at home but will struggle on the road. As I said in the preseason. NIT would be a good year for this group.

 

The problem I see with the NIT is it is almost as hard to get into as the NCAA you have to be .500 for the NIT and if we finish above .500 then there is a good shot we make the NCAAs right?

[PimpMario]

Is @ Cincinnati a must win?

[atskooc]

nil

[GoBigRed]

Is @ Cincinnati a must win?

 

I guess, but that's like saying it's a must to buy a lottery ticket in order to win the lottery.

[colhusker]

Nada, zilch, nil, zero chance and yes I will be glad to eat crow.

[Huskerpapa]

I have an outside hope we can still go to the dance, but a lot of positive things must start happening immediately.  More realistic is the NIT this year, but even with that possibility we have to start playing consistent ball for 40 minutes a game.

[49r]

If you had asked me before the game I'd have told you zero.  If you had asked me before the SEASON I'd have told you zero.

 

In reality, this team has zero shot at the NCAA tourney.  Or as close to it as to make it essentially zero.

 

Next year we'll have a better shot at it, but will probably still need things to break right for us.

[ajb5856]

Realistically? Zero. We have talent and some nice pieces but inexperience will kill us in the big ten. We will be no fun to play at home but will struggle on the road. As I said in the preseason. NIT would be a good year for this group.

The problem I see with the NIT is it is almost as hard to get into as the NCAA you have to be .500 for the NIT and if we finish above .500 then there is a good shot we make the NCAAs right?

This is what often gets ignored about the NIT. Everyone (mostly casual fans) think it's an absolute joke if your team is "so bad that they can't even make the NIT." As a power conference team you pretty much have to be on the NCAA tourney cusp or on the bubble to even get considered for the NIT. You better be the first or second team from your conference left out of the real tourney to even be in the NIT conversation. It's harder than most fans realize.

[PimpMario]

 

 

Realistically? Zero. We have talent and some nice pieces but inexperience will kill us in the big ten. We will be no fun to play at home but will struggle on the road. As I said in the preseason. NIT would be a good year for this group.

The problem I see with the NIT is it is almost as hard to get into as the NCAA you have to be .500 for the NIT and if we finish above .500 then there is a good shot we make the NCAAs right?

This is what often gets ignored about the NIT. Everyone (mostly casual fans) think it's an absolute joke if your team is "so bad that they can't even make the NIT." As a power conference team you pretty much have to be on the NCAA tourney cusp or on the bubble to even get considered for the NIT. You better be the first or second team from your conference left out of the real tourney to even be in the NIT conversation. It's harder than most fans realize.

 

 

It doesn't make any sense.  I wish ESPN would buy the NIT tourny and then we would see a lot more formerly BCS level schools get in.

 

In my opinion the NIT has been a LOT worse since the NCAA started running it and putting a whole bunch of mid majors no one has ever heard of in it.

[Hooper]

This team has virtually no chance to make the tournament. I believe an NIT invitation is a realistic goal.

 

I still view this issue in terms of NU's positioning within the B1G. In order to make the tournament, Nebraska really has to finish as one of the top seven teams in the B1G, which likely means having a better conference record than Northwestern, Purdue and Penn State, and then also finishing ahead two of the teams in the group consisting of Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana. 

 

That's a tall order for an inexperienced, inconsistent team lacking in talented big men. My opinion is that an 8th-place B1G finish is the best-case scenario for this team. I'd be ecstatic with that result and a trip to the NIT. A 9th-place finish would still represent substantial progress. Anything worse than 10th place would be a huge disappointment, but it's possible that Penn State is a better team than the Huskers right now. According to KenPom they are, but we'll see how it plays out.

[ballgame]

Honestly?  We aren't going to the NCAA tournament anytime soon.

[hhcmatt]

Is @ Cincinnati a must win?

 

If we want to go to any tourney?  Yeah or otherwise we need to go 11-5 in conference.

[tcp]

the NIT is the goal this season, and it's going to be a tough road. So few slots to get in as an at large anymore, so a lot of things will have to go right.

I just don't think we'll be good enough to get in. I was hoping for next season to make the Dance, and right now given what I see, that's an outside shot unless we land a ringer or two in recruiting.

The rise of the mid-majors has just made all of this a lot harder than it was 20 years ago.

[tuxino]

What are our chances, based on our current record, schedule, and the way our team is playing that we will make the NCAA tournament?

 

And a better question, what do we have to do to make the NCAA tournament?

 

Does 8-4 in OOC and 8-10 in conference do it?

 

I am thinking it doesn't look very bright but I am admittedly not as up on RPI, selection process, etc. as others.

Not singling you out. If the team improves each game they will be in. If they continue to think "they" are above the program...maybe 14 wins. No more. They sure have more individual talent than last year but will "they" get it? tux

[PimpMario]

 

What are our chances, based on our current record, schedule, and the way our team is playing that we will make the NCAA tournament?

 

And a better question, what do we have to do to make the NCAA tournament?

 

Does 8-4 in OOC and 8-10 in conference do it?

 

I am thinking it doesn't look very bright but I am admittedly not as up on RPI, selection process, etc. as others.

Not singling you out. If the team improves each game they will be in. If they continue to think "they" are above the program...maybe 14 wins. No more. They sure have more individual talent than last year but will "they" get it? tux

 

 

In your keep improving every week scenario does every other team stand still?

 

No question this team is more talented than last year but the schedule is a heckuvalot harder.

[nuled2dance]

Always a chance but I will take not for year two

[hskr4life]

One day at a time.  Never know whats going to happen with our team and every other team.

[huskerbaseball13]

the NIT is the goal this season, and it's going to be a tough road. So few slots to get in as an at large anymore, so a lot of things will have to go right.

I just don't think we'll be good enough to get in. I was hoping for next season to make the Dance, and right now given what I see, that's an outside shot unless we land a ringer or two in recruiting.

The rise of the mid-majors has just made all of this a lot harder than it was 20 years ago.

 

Agreed.  I would be very happy if we managed to make the NIT.  I know Miles will always say the goal is to get a NCAA bid but coming into the year and being realistic I think NIT was a realistic goal.  If we can manage to stay above .500 we may be able to get that bid.  Baby steps...

[Fullbacksympathy]

I'm hoping we defend home court.  I hope the PBA is a miserable place for opponents to visit.  Miles has a history of fielding great home court teams, and not so great road teams.

[lanigan123]

Ceiling is NIT.

[Silverbacked1]

I want the NIT for this team, heck I would take any of the other ones, because it will give us more games that this team will need.

The more this team learns to play together this year the better it will be for the years to come.

[The_Vault]

I don't see how you can say we have a zero percent chance of making the tournament. We don't have a bad loss yet. I believe if we finish middle of the pack in the Big Ten, which I think we can do, we can get it. Gut feeling that we will knock off a couple top dogs this year.