Northwestern nets NIT bid, travels to URI on Wednesday

The NIT loves us. They really, really love us. In a somewhat surprising move, the NIT selected Northwestern with its last at large bid despite an RPI of 116. We're glad Jim Phillips got our message about hammering home the importance of the Sagarin and Pomeroy statistics as they definitely shed NU in a better light.

There hasn't always been this love affair between the NIT and NU. Back in the days when NIT wasn't run by the NCAAs and was most concerned with making Benjamins Northwestern was treated by the NIT selection committee like a red headed step child. One year NU finished at .500 in the Big Ten but was left out of the NCAAs in favor of questionable teams such as Manhattan. Excuses like a poor finish and poor RPI were thrown out as excuses, but we know the real reason: NU's poor home attendance.

More on NU's second consecutive NIT berth to come......