College football fans know that predicting winners during bowl season is tricky. The attitude of the teams drives the outcome as much as talent. If you're not excited about being there, you will get beat.
The NIT is basically like a Tier 3 bowl game. The teams excited about being there do well. Those that pout about not making the NCAA Tournament get beat quickly. For that reason alone, it's interesting to note the sincere enthusiasm from Fresno State. They are excited about their 9th trip to the NIT, and we must match their effort/excitement to win.
Georgia is 1-2 all-time vs. Fresno State. Our only win came in the 1998 NIT consolation game in Madison Square Garden.
See Also:
-- Jumping up and down - Fresno Bee
-- FSU Bulldogs headed to 9th NIT - Barkboard.com
-- 7 Reasons Georgia Missed the NCAA Tourney - ABH
-- Georgia hosts Fresno St. - ABH
PWD
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5 comments:
watch out for depaul, they beat kentucky earier in the maui invit.
I have some mixed emotions about this NIT thing. Obviously, if we are playing a game then I want us to win.
However, what is the team's collective psyche going into this thing? Do we really think that success in this tournament is going to help us next year?
In this decade, the NIT champion has made the field of 64/65 only 3 times the very next season (WF, Tulsa, Memphis.) Of the last four champions (St. Johns, Michigan, USC, USC) only USC made any tourney the next year - the NIT again. St. Johns, Michigan, and USC (2007) all had losing records.
Do you really believe, we are going to have a lot of momentum for next year with a good NIT showing?
The '82 Georgia team went to the NIT final four.
The '83 Georgia team went to the NCAA Final Four.
The '02 GT team went to the NIT 3rd round. The '03 GT team went to the NCAA Finals.
There are about a dozen teams that have been to the NIT Final Four and followed that with a trip to the NCAA Final Four the next year.
It's not a magic cure all, but it can provide the program some momentum. More don't leverage it to bigger things than do.
We're in it. All we can do is take advantage of it.
PWD
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let's not get excited about the NIT. let's leave that for south carolina fans.
i'm all supporting the basketball team. but the NIT is an afterthought and should be reserved for teams with lower expectations than a large state school like georgia.
Anon- I don't think anyone is suggesting we should go nuts or the hang banners.
But facts are facts. The fact is we've been playing hoops for 102 years or so. We've only been to the NCAA about 7 or 8 times. Hell, we've to the NIT fewer times than UK has been to the NCAA Sweet 16.
So, we're in no position to get uppity. What Georgia is in football...it isn't in basketball. Yet.
PWD
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