Friday, April 1, 2011

Wichita State Wins NIT

Thursday night, Wichita State captured the N.I.T. title by upsetting Alabama 66-57 in the N.I.T. finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With the win, the Shockers became the first Missouri Valley Conference team to win a men's basketball postseason championship since Bradley won the N.I.T. in 1982. Though the the Missouri Valley has a rich and storied history, and though it's been one of college basketball's most prominent Mid Major conferences in the recent past, the league has been perceived as sub-par for the last four seasons. And that bad image has kept the Valley from garnering an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament over that period of time. This year, regular season conference champion Missouri State lost in the Missouri Valley tournament failed to land an NCAA Tournament bid. But with Wichita State winning the N.I.T, and with Creighton facing off against former coach Dana Altman's Oregon Ducks in the College Basketball Invitational (C.B.I.), the Valley has shown well this postseason.

Through his tenure at Wichita State -- and during his earlier days at Winthrop -- Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall has proven to be an outstanding college basketball coach. Over the years, his name has been mentioned frequently in conjunction with head coaching openings at higher profile programs. Whether or not Marshall has actually pursued any of those coaching positions remains unclear. As we've mentioned before, writers like to speculatively throw coaches' names around when writing about coaching vacancies. But for what it's worth, Marshall's name is being thrown around again this year with regard to several of the coaching vacancies at high major schools.

Gregg Marshall a long history of fielding highly competitive teams at Mid Major institutions. Now with an N.I.T. title in tow, he's likely to garner significant interest from Athletic Directors at big name schools with vacancies as he heads to the NABC coaches' convention at the Final Four in Houston.

11 comments:

wrigleyville illini said...

The shockers sounds like shaka. That reminds me how much I want shaka smart. Fire bubbles weber, hire shaka smart and bring back chief illiniwek. Long live the Chief!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!

Lincoln Railsplitter Illini said...

wrigleyvile, I hear ya. I use to be Webers biggest supporter. I was still a merryman last year when we got stuck in the nit. but I had enuff of weber. Bruce is a great guy, but he sucks as a basketball coach. Weberball is fine for SIU, but it dont work in the B1G. You dont win if you dont play zone and press full court. I want Brad Stevens. If we cant get him, then go get Chaka Smart and play 40 minutes of hell.

Butler Bob said...

Boooooooo Diggggettty Deeeeeeeeeeeeeee Deeeeeee

Them same ole Butler be beein in them finals. Them ESPN folk be beein paid by them credit card companys be praisin them connvict dogs from them pound instead them most consistint team that be beein Butler. Them Butlet kids be playin for them education while them connvict dogs from them pound, Williamsburg Colonial Debit Cards, them Everglades Swamp Dwellers, them WHiskey Drinkin Northerners, them bottomless pitts, and them ole communins, and even them smookie dookies be playin for them credit cards. uh huh. uh huh. Them Butler kids be focusin on them library and them educatin while them pay credit card schools be focusin on them secret agents and them payments. Them schools be drinkin them colt 42s like Steemer be pickin up at them gas station, while them Butler kids be drinkin them carrot juice. Thats why they be seein them rim better. uh huh. uh huh. Thats why them Butler be cuttin down them nets!!

Steemer be hearin them questions them entire time from them Bertha Jenny about them bell bottom disco days and whether he really been lovin her them days and why he be beein with them Gertrude. Them Colt 42 be bringin him to them oasis like them camels in them desert. Bertha Jenny makes them wonderful pea con pie, but them men be havin other needs other than them food as well. I be tellin her that them men rather be beein watchin them Shelley Smith than them soaps. i aint been findin them ESPN crews. Me and them Steemer been goin in them hotels and be tryin be findin them Shelley Smith and tryin them umbrella drinks in them hotel while them women be looking for them asteroids. we be tellin them we be makin them arcetectural tours.

Soon Butler be showin them world that them real schools for them education be cuttin down them nets. Then they be playin them one Shinin Moment and i be seein them Shelley Smith and we be smoochin! Teeee hEEEEE * gettin excited We Be Cuttin Down Them nETS!!! * dancin in them lobbe them hotel * We be cuTTIn dowN tHEm NETs!!!! * Standin like them Evita in them movie over them railin * WE BE CUTTIN DOWN THEM NETS!!!!!

wrigleyville illini said...

Is there anybody out there now who still doesn't think Brad Stevens is the best coach in the game? I mean, the guy takes freakin Butler to the championship 2 years in a row. If he wins a national championship tonight, there's no way we ever get him to come here. If he wins, he's out of our league. That's why we gotta dump Weber and hire Stevens before Butler plays tonight. I don't care if we gotta throw $50 million for 5 years at him, just do whatever it takes to get him here before tip off tonight.

Fire Weber, do whatever it takes to get Stevens to come, and bring back the Chief.

wrigleyville illini said...

Wow. Just saw that Missouri hired the coach from Miami, Frank Haith, or Frank Heath, or whatever his name is. Wow......just wow. Never even heard of the guy. That's the best Mizzou can do????????? LOL!!!!!! I thought it was a sure thing they were gonna go get Shaka Smart. Pretty telling that they didn't even give Weber a call, dontcha think. I mean, they go after Painter from Purdue, then they go after somebody else, then they settle for some guy I never heard of. But they never even pick up the phone and call old Bubbles Bruce. Can't say I blame em. After 8 years of tanking this program, nobody out there would ever hire Weber. Nobody's that stupid. All that talk about Tennessee and Oklahoma offering Bruce a job was total B.S. Weber prolly just made it up himself and told Loren Tate so that he could get some attention and try to pretend that somebody's stupid enough to hire a guy who can't even draw up a play on the board without smearing marker ink all over his face. What a freakin joke.

Fire Weber, throw $75 million over 5 years at Stevens, and bring back the Chief!

wrigleyville illini said...

Its getting into the day a little bit. Still lotsa time to give Bruce Weber the old heave hoe and hire Brad Stevens B4 Butler tips off tonight.

wrigleyville illini said...

Still haven't heard anything about Weber getting fired yet. Still plenty of time to fire Weber and hire Brad Stevens before Butler tips off tonight. But gotta get it done pretty soon. Tip off is at 8:00 pm. Clock's ticking.

Fire Weber, throw $100 million for 5 years at STevens (whatever it takes to get him) and bring back Chief Illiniwek!!!!!!!

Butler Bob said...

Boooooooo Digggetty Deeeeee Deeeeeeeeee

Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga CHOO CHOO!! Then sound be beein herd round them nation.
Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga CHOO!!!! That sound be them train plowin them pay credit card schools out them way CHOO!!!! Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga CHOO CHOO!!!! Them sound be consistently reachin them finals in them Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga CHOO CHOO!!!! Them sound be beein Butler steamrollin them competition!!!!

wE be beein in them Wal Mart again since Bertha Jenny be needin them die a ree a pills. Them moo moo be havin them brown tint, them kids be lookin and pointin. Steemer be pointin her out. My wife be sprayin him with them fly swatter we been buyin. We be needin be buyin Bertha Jenny them new outfit. Now she be looking like Popey them sailor man, had he been enjoyin Pea con pie instead of them spinich. now she be singin them soap music songs all them time. Steemer be pointin out them french geeateen in them museum and be sayin we be needin one back in Monon. My wife be actin like them Napoleon when them shoes be on them sale.

I been wakin up this mornin and be sayin to my wife, honey wake up, today we be cuttin down them nets!! Teeeeeee Heeeeeeeeeeee!!! I be beein waitin for this day since I been buyin my first 8 track. Them days I be boogyin on them dancefloor wearin them bell bottoms. Then i be beein serious with them Jacks tournamints and them ole tux be left in them attic. Last year I been dustin off them ole tux and puttin in them new soals and been bringin them moves I aint been seein in them long time. This year we be finishin them project and we be cuttin down them nets. Them tux be beein refitted since Bertha Jenny be livin with us and makin them Pea con pie beetween them soaps. During them time I be on them lookout for them Shelley Smith on them ESPNS. I aint been findin her in them Houstin. She be busyin reportin on them tall Chinese fellow that be playin ball. Tonight we be stormin them court I be beein wearin my sunday best, they be olayin them One Shinin Moment and we be a smoochin!! Teeeeeee Heeeeeee!!! Like in them end of them necessary ruffniss movie.

Them Butler students be playin them game because they care about them team while them pay credit card schools be focusin on them secret agents and drinkin them puss Steemer be drinkin at them vfw, while we be trainin them Jacks tekneeks. Them Butler students be hangin at them library and be drinkin them carrot juice and they be seein them rim better. Them connvicts from them pound be focusin on them texas hold em while them Butler students be readin them books for them classes. They be usin them internet to be beein askin them professor them questions from them classes while them connvicts from them pound be meetin europeein women. uh huh. uh huh. Butler. We be cuttin down them nets!!

* gettin excited!! We Be Cuttin Down Them Nets!! * playin slip n slide by them campsite WE BE cuttin down THEM nets!! * doin them trible ritual round them tent wE bE cUtTiN DoWn ThEm NeTs!!!! * jumpin in them lake in them tux WE BE CUTTIN DOWN THEM NETS!!!!!!!!!!

wrigleyville illini said...

It's only 3 hours from tipoff. Weber still has his job. Unless there's some last minute behind the scenes wheeling and dealing going on, looks like were stuck with Weber for another friggen year. Fire Weber, hire Brad Stevens before Butler tips off tonight, and bring back the Chief.

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