by Kevin Burton
I printed an NIT bracket Sunday night, because I always do. I was looking for one thing, but got myself a shocker.
Make that a Shocker, capital S Shocker.
Just two days after Wichita State lost in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, and one day after I posted a blog saying the season was over (and pouting a little bit over it), the Shockers’ season was not over.
I started reading the NIT bracket to see which small schools from Ohio made the field. But as I started reading down the left side of the page, I saw, “Wichita State.”
The Shockers play at Oklahoma State tonight at 9 p.m. Wow!
My first thought upon seeing this was Biblical, that of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Friday I had heard Mike Kennedy, the beloved radio voice of the Shockers say “…and will end their season at 19-14….” That was that. Season dead, right?
The Lazarus story is in John, chapter 11. Jesus purposely waited to go to Lazarus’ home town until after he died. He had planned all along to raise him from the dead.
In verse 39, Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone,” meaning the stone that was in front of the cave Lazarus was buried in.
The verse continues, “Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”
Wichita State basketball, yea verily, stinketh exceedingly this year, but nevertheless has new life.
When I looked into the matter further, how WSU got into the NIT, I changed my mind and focused on a different Bible passage.
According to information gleaned from the sports gambling company Draft Kings and from The Wichita Eagle, Boise State, Oregon State, Nevada, UNLV, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Northwestern, Wake Forest, South Carolina and LSU all declined invitations from the NIT.
There must have been even more refusals, because Wichita State, which was so sure its season was over that it conducted exit interviews with its players, not only got into the NIT, but rose all the way to a number 5 seed!
That sent my mind to the Luke 14:16-24 (KVJ), and the parable of the great feast.
“Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
“And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
“So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”
“And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
Not sure whether Wichita State basketball qualifies as poor, maimed, halt or blind, but it is not basketball royalty worthy of a post-season showcase. Not this year anyway.
So why is the NIT gathering teams from the highways and hedges? A new tournament called the College Basketball Crown (CBC), appears to be usurping the NIT’s long-standing position as the second-most desirable post-season destination.
The 16-team CBC will feature two teams each from the Big East, Big Ten and Big 12, plus ten chosen at large. It will be played at two arenas in Las Vegas from March 31-April 6.
At least some of the teams listed above turned down the NIT in hopes of getting into the CBC. The power 5 conferences seem to prefer it, as only five of their teams accepted NIT bids, compared to 17 last year, the Eagle reported.
“The field this year almost looks like a mid-major invitational,” bracketologist Rocco Miller told The Eagle.
The Shockers, who scrambled to reassemble for tonight’s game probably were not expected to be able to practice beforehand. This late in the season it may not matter.
“We’ll be ready,” coach Paul Mills told the Eagle.
Mills had to send a group text message to his players on Sunday evening to ask if there were any issues playing on Tuesday. When none were presented, the staff quickly began purchasing return travel for the players who had left, according to the Eagle.
“The primary concern for Mills is preparing a team that was just scrambled in different cities for a game against a power-conference opponent on such short notice,” wrote Eagle reporter Taylor Eldridge
“I’m definitely happy to get the chance to coach these guys still,” Mills said. “I do think that some guys feel like we left a lot on the table. It’s just not often that you get a chance to course correct on something like that.”
Page 7 