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Auburn basketball now has a chance to join St John's Kentucky and South Carolina in the
Posted on 4/6/26 at 8:36 am
Posted on 4/6/26 at 8:36 am
record books if the Tigers are able to make it back to the NIT championship in 2027 -
the Redmen and Gamecocks are the only 2 schools to win the tournament back-to-back -
it seems Stephen Pearl is just the coach the Tigers need to accomplish the feat and stand alongside college basketball coaching giants Joe Lapchick Adolph Rupp & NIT Dave Odom -
St John's - 1943 1944
Kentucky - 1946 1947
Carolina - 2005 2006
Auburn - 2026 ????
South Carolina beat some pretty storied programs during its 2 year reign & run to Madison Square Garden -
2005 - UMiami UNLV Georgetown Maryland St Joseph's
2006 - Western Kentucky Florida State Cincinnati Louisville Michigan
the Redmen and Gamecocks are the only 2 schools to win the tournament back-to-back -
it seems Stephen Pearl is just the coach the Tigers need to accomplish the feat and stand alongside college basketball coaching giants Joe Lapchick Adolph Rupp & NIT Dave Odom -
St John's - 1943 1944
Kentucky - 1946 1947
Carolina - 2005 2006
Auburn - 2026 ????
South Carolina beat some pretty storied programs during its 2 year reign & run to Madison Square Garden -
2005 - UMiami UNLV Georgetown Maryland St Joseph's
2006 - Western Kentucky Florida State Cincinnati Louisville Michigan
6
Posted on 4/6/26 at 8:38 am to 1801
Historic run by the fambly.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 8:52 am to 1801
Back in the 1940s, the NIT was actually the premier postseason tournament…winning it meant more than the fledgling NCAA event. Fast-forward to today, and taking home the NIT trophy is basically the college basketball equivalent of getting a participation ribbon. Sorry Barn fans, but it’s the truth.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 8:54 am to WildcatMike
quote:
the NIT trophy is basically the college basketball equivalent of getting a participation ribbon.
69th place.
This post was edited on 4/6/26 at 8:59 am
Posted on 4/6/26 at 9:01 am to WildcatMike
quote:
Back in the 1940s, the NIT was actually the premier postseason tournament…winning it meant more than the fledgling NCAA event. Fast-forward to today, and taking home the NIT trophy is basically the college basketball equivalent of getting a participation ribbon. Sorry Barn fans, but it’s the truth.
Don’t disagree that it isn’t near what it once was. Most valuable thing we’ll take away from it is reps, both for Steven and the players we will have returning. Can’t practice a late game situation like what happened last night.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 12:50 pm to WildcatMike
quote:[quote]
Back in the 1940s, the NIT was actually the premier postseason tournament
Jesus…this fairytale has been overblown by so many people over the years and it is just untrue. Those who continue to spew it only have an agenda, usually promoting their teams past NIT success or lack of NCAA success.
Yes, the NIT was more prestigious back in the day compared to its current iteration, but this had more to do with the NCAA being significantly smaller (number of teams invited) which allowed the NIT to have a higher caliber of field. However, it was never really considered more prestigious than winning the NCAA.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 1:23 pm to WildcatMike
We could be dumb enough to spend 20M on a roster and not win anything
Posted on 4/6/26 at 3:02 pm to 1801
quote:
the Redmen and Gamecocks are the only 2 schools to win the tournament back-to-back -
Posted on 4/6/26 at 3:16 pm to ummagumma
Wrong. UK turned down the 1946 NCAA bid to go to the NIT. Why? It was more prestigious. It was played in Madison Square Garden and had better teams.
The NCAA later banned teams from doing that.
You admit it was more prestigious in the 1940s than the NCAA. So that would seem to indicate it was the premier tournament.
I have no axe to grind and neither does Mike.UK won both tournaments in the referenced time frame.
The NCAA later banned teams from doing that.
You admit it was more prestigious in the 1940s than the NCAA. So that would seem to indicate it was the premier tournament.
I have no axe to grind and neither does Mike.UK won both tournaments in the referenced time frame.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 3:34 pm to Lynxrufus2012
The NIT was absolutely the more prestigious tournament in those days.
While it isn't now, who cares. Kudos to Auburn for winning it. Good job Tigers.
While it isn't now, who cares. Kudos to Auburn for winning it. Good job Tigers.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 3:39 pm to ummagumma
quote:
Jesus…this fairytale has been overblown by so many people over the years and it is just untrue. Those who continue to spew it only have an agenda, usually promoting their teams past NIT success or lack of NCAA success.
Big Blue History has a pretty good, fact based article on this. It was more prestigious until the 1950s.
quote:
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was begun in 1938 when two local New York teams, two eastern schools and two other teams from the West or Midwest were invited to play a post-season tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The following year was the inaugural year for the NCAA Tournament. The NIT field was slowly expanded and during the 1940's, it was a hot ticket with many compelling games. It was such a draw that the NCAA scheduled their tournament after the NIT in order to avoid competing directly with it. This allowed some schools the opportunity to compete in both tournaments, with City College of New York being the first and only school to win both titles in the same year in 1950. Kentucky won three NCAA titles (1948, 1949 and 1951) and one NIT title (1946) during the time period that both tournaments were considered prestigious.
In the early-1950's, the NCAA began a slow progression of minimizing the NIT's prestige by making it mandatory for winners of the top-10 conferences to participate in the NCAA Tournament and not the NIT. In addition, the NCAA began to expand their field, first to 16 teams (from 8) and then to 22 teams. This further put a crimp on the NIT.
NIT Big Blue History Link
Posted on 4/6/26 at 5:31 pm to 1801
I can truly say in all sincerity... I wish for nothing more than a second NIT Championship for Auburn next year. In fact, I hope this is the beginning of a long Madison Square Garden dynasty.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 6:04 pm to 1801
Congratulations. It is better to be in it and win it. Good job by your coaches keeping your players focused.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 6:37 pm to Lynxrufus2012
The NIT was the bigger tourney in the 40s by a lot
Posted on 4/6/26 at 7:49 pm to kywildcatfanone
At the end of the day, Auburn cut down nets and Alabama was trying to get bail cut.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 2:56 pm to kywildcatfanone
quote:
The NIT was the bigger tourney in the 40s by a lot
This argument, and others like it, is only valid through about 1943 or so. After that, the two events evened out considerably in the middle and late 40s, with the NCAA completely overtaking it in short order thereafter.
It’s an overblown fallacy.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:07 pm to Bigbens42
quote:
Most valuable thing we’ll take away from it is reps
Their new teams appreciate you giving the guys more practice.
Posted on 4/7/26 at 3:35 pm to 1801
quote:
St John's - 1943 1944
Kentucky - 1946 1947
The NIT was much more back then and even considered more prestigious than the NCAA tourney.
Up until 1950 or so the NCAA tourney was only 8 teams then expanded to 16 teams and didn't go to 32 until the 70s.
Carolina's back to back is nice for a trophy case but means precious little in the scheme of things.
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