Auburn may have missed out on the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers still ended the first season of the Steve Pearl era with a win.
Showing posts with label national invitation tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national invitation tournament. Show all posts
Chattanooga: 2024-25 National Invitation Tournament Champions
The Chattanooga Mocs are NIT Champions! The first NCAA DI national tournament crown matching the 1977 DII title. Garrison Keeslar hit the winning shot in overtime to cap an 85-84 drama filled affair.
UC Irvine opened the second half on a 11-2 run to take an 8-point lead, 48-40. The Mocs chipped away and cut it to one five times only to see the Anteaters find answers.
It was a 73-67 deficit when Garrison Keeslar nailed a triple from the top of the key to get it back to one possession, 73-70 at 2:13. Bent Leuchten hit one of two free throws to get the lead back to four. On the ensuing possession, the Mocs missed two threes but scrapped for offensive rebounds on big plays from Keeslar and Bash Wieland.
Keeslar came through again with another three to cut it to one, 74-73. UC Irvine went to the free throw line with 27.6 seconds on the clock. Justin Hohn missed both to set Honor Huff up for heroics. He missed a three with 16.3 left on the clock but was fouled by former Moc Myles Che. Huff made all three for the 76-74 advantage.
Che then pump faked and leaned into Keeslar drawing three free throws of his own at 13.1. He made the first two to tie it and then saw the third spin out. Trey Bonham claimed the rebound and sped to the bench and called timeout with 8.1 seconds remaining.
The Mocs worked the ball inside to Collin Mulholland. His jumper in the paint rimmed out and rolled out of bounds at 1.7 with the possession staying with UTC. He got a chance at redemption with a three from the top of the key which also rimmed out.
The two teams traded scores and stops throughout the extra period. Irvine had Devin Tillis make one of two free throws at 1:51 and then Che made one of two 18 seconds later to make it an 82-80 Anteater lead.
Mulholland got the answer with a three which quickly shifted to a Che jumper as the changes were rapid fire. An empty possession down one saw UCI back at the line with 31.0 to go. Leuchten missed them both and the Mocs brought it down and found Keeslar. He hit a 15-footer for the lead.
The Anteaters floated a pass into Leuchten but Bonham swooped in to intercept and pass it to Huff who was fouled with 2.7 to play. He missed them both giving UCI the length of the floor to go with 2.4 on the clock. The 2.4 seemed like an eternity as the full court pass went to Leuchten who hopped and passed to Jurian Dixon who missed from 3-feet our for the Mocs win.
Chattanooga finishes its season with a win for the first time since the 1977 NCAA Division II Championship. That goes with the 13th regular season Southern Conference title for the program and school record-tying 29 wins making it a season for the ages.
RECORDS – Chattanooga: 29-9 | UCI 32-7
INSIDE THE BOX – SCORE
Scoring Leaders – UTC: 19-Trey Bonham/Collin Mulholland | UCI: 19-Devin Tillis
Rebounding Leaders – UTC: 10- Bonham/Garrison Keeslar | UCI: 11-Bent Leuchten
Assist Leaders – UTC: 5- Keeslar | UCI: 4-Justin Hohn
Largest Leads – UTC: 8 (8-0– 17:58 1st | LUC: 8 (48-40 – 14:07 2nd)
Lead Changes: 14 | Times Tied: 9
UC Irvine entered the game ranked third in the nation at 80.1 percent at the free throw line. It 21-34 tonight, 61.8 percent.
Keeslar loaded up the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
UTC held a 17-12 advantage on second chance points. Only allowed six offensive boards to the bigger Anteaters squad.
Career-high five 3pt made for Mulholland. UC Irvine hit five as a team.
Chattanooga overcame a tough shooting night at 38.9 percent largely due to a 14 of 44 night (21.8 percent) from three.
Five Anteaters scored in double figures.
NIT HISTORY
5th appearance but first since 1987. The program made four straight NITs from 1984-87. That was in the middle of the first eight DI postseasons for the Mocs going to the NCAA Tournament in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1988.
8-4 all-time in the event (3-2 road).
23rd postseason appearance in school history: NCAA DI (12) & DII (5) tournaments, NIT (5) and CIT (1).
44th postseason contest: 22-22 record: 8-4 NIT | 3-12 NCAA DI | 11-5 NCAA DII | 0-1 CIT.
4-0 all-time in overtime in the NIT. Second overtime game of this year's run (109-103 at Middle Tennessee).
Matched the longest postseason run in school history. The 1977 squad won the NCAA Division II National Championship a year after finishing as runner-up in 1976 in the same event.
Matched the deepest postseason run in SoCon history with West Virginia finishing as NCAA runner-up in 1959.
SERIES HISTORY
Meetings: 4
Record: 4-0
Neutral: 2-0
Postseason: 1-0
Streak: +4
NOTES TO KNOW
First time in school history with three student-athletes scoring 500 or more points in a single season: Huff (578), Bonham (554) & Wieland (502).
Bonham averaged 22.2 points per game in the NIT Championship race.
Huff played 224:10 out of a possible 225:00 in the 5-game title hunt. That's an average of 44.8 minutes per game.
Huff is the national leader in 3pt made with 131.
Keeslar's five assists came with zero turnovers. He's the national leader in A/TO ratio (5.62).
Won 17 of the last 18 games. 21-4 since the calendar shifted to 2025.
Won 13 of the last 14 games outside of Chattanooga.
29 wins for the second time in school history: 29 (2015-16).
Five postseason wins for Dan Earl ranks second in school history behind Ron Shumate (11).
68 wins for Earl is a program record for the first three years of a coaching tenure ahead of Mack McCarthy (62), Murray Arnold (61) and Ron Shumate (59).
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Dan Earl's opening statement following Chattanooga's 85-84 overtime victory over UC Irvine in the NIT title game.
"I don't want to watch that last play where they got that little layup and offensive rebound layup, I think is what happened. That's not the way we drew it up. But super proud of these guys, as everyone says when you win a championship like this, but they are a wonderful young group. They all remained completely unselfish and played the right way throughout the year. This might have been our least efficient offensive game in, I can't even tell you how long, so there was some great defense involved in this game, which we were fortunate to come out on top against a very, very good UC Irvine team. They are great on both sides of the ball, but super proud of our guys. These are the two guys sitting here, but Garrison (Keeslar) has given us courage all year long, plays extremely unselfish and is an unbelievable defender. He's willing to do whatever it takes to win. And then Trey Bonham, we have a long history, but I can't tell you how proud I am of him. I've been with him a while and I've been really tough on him in the past. Eased up a little bit, but I'm so proud that he's playing his best basketball at the end of his career and able to cut down the nets for a championship. Proud of all the guys and we'll take it."
Seton Hall: 2024 National Invitation Tournament Champions
INDIANAPOLIS – It was a title game that lived up to its billing, a showcase of two NCAA Tournament snubs that proved they belonged, waged before a relentlessly raucous crowd at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
You could not have asked for a more compelling National Invitation Tournament final, and in the end, Seton Hall basketball dug deep and rallied late for a 79-77 triumph over Indiana State Thursday. It was a moment of redemption no one saw coming three weeks ago, amid the despair of a Selection Sunday gone wrong, and the winning play was delivered by a hometown kid in a Hoosiers-style twist fit for Hollywood.
Senior wing Dre Davis, an Indianapolis native, hit the go-ahead layup with 16 seconds left, slicing and spinning past three defenders to do it. The Pirates finished the game on a 9-0 run over the final 2:38, stunning the baby-blue clad Sycamores fans into silence as 300 or so Hall supporters erupted in joy.
"I feel like we did something special here," Davis said. "Obviously we wanted to win a championship, and at the end of the day that's what we did. "
Seton Hall’s quest for its first NIT crown since 1953 succeeded despite a crowd of 9,100 that was 95 percent pro-Sycamores. The Pirates finish a memorable season with a 25-12 record, the foundation having been laid in year two of Shaheen Holloway’s regime. It’s just the seventh time the program has won 25-plus games in its 120-year history.
"The naysayers, we left them with something to remember," senior guard Kadary Richmond said. "And the people at Seton Hall, I feel like we left our mark there, too."
Indiana State’s breakthrough campaign ends at 32-7. The Sycamores, like the Pirates, put on a show for much of the tournament, raising the event's profile and garnering national buzz. Thursday's thrilling finale was an exclamation point on one of the most memorable Hall seasons ever.
"Three Sundays ago, if you guys seen the look on these guys' faces when we didn't make the (NCAA) tournament, and as their leader, not knowing what to say to them, it was the worst feeling in the world," Holloway said. "From that, to going to this, getting drenched by those guys (in the postgame locker room celebration), it's the best feeling in the world."
Here is how the wild, unforgettable finish unfolded.
With Indiana State leading 77-70, Richmond put back his own miss for a layup at the 2:38 mark.
After errant 3-pointers on both ends, Al-Amir Dawes got fouled going to the basket and sank two free throws to make it 77-74 with 1:27 left.
Indiana State’s Robbie Avila missed a 3-pointer, and Dawes drilled a step-back triple from straightaway to knot things up at 77-77 with 1:05 remaining.
"This group, you know, they haven't wavered," Holloway said of his team's late-game mettle. "We got in a huddle. There was no panicking. It was, all right, all right, let's do what we do. Get a score, get a stop."
After two Indiana State misses, Richmond tried to drive, got cut off, and handed the ball to Davis, who spun through three defenders for the go-ahead layup. Richmond had screened for him, opening just enough daylight.
'It was just a broken play," Davis said. "Kooks created an angle for me to get downhill and just put me in position to be able to get a good look at the rim...I am blessed, man, pleased beyond measure to be able to do this at the home crib. Happy for my guys. Proud of my team to fight tooth-and-nail to the very end."
In a bonkers final sequence, Indiana State's game-winning 3-point attempt got blocked by Hall center Jaden Bediako, who closed out masterfully.
“That's a really good basketball team,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz said. “They showed a lot of heart and fight and made a lot of plays there down the stretch to win the game. So credit to them. Very deserving champions.”
FIVE TAKEWAYS
1. Big three left their mark
In their curtain call a trio, and possibly each of their final games in a Seton Hall uniform, Richmond, Davis and Al-Amir Dawes etched their names into Pirate lore.
Dawes was named the NIT's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21 points per game for the tournament. He tallied 24 points and four steals in the final, making all nine of his free-throw attempts. He also was one of the most vocal Pirates about wanting to play in the NIT, a decision that was made by the five starters, and he carried the team past Saint Joseph's in that sluggish opening-round squeaker.
"We stuck to who we were," Dawes said. "We stuck to who we do. We ended up here."
Davis tallied 18 points and 3 blocks in the final, playing all 40 minutes. He wound up going 4-0 as a Pirate at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
"Indy was great for me," he said. "To be able to come home and win two big games, compete for a national championship which is our goal and ultimately win, it was a great week."
Richmond chalked up 21 points, 13 boards and 5 assists. Asked about leaving a legacy, he replied with a slam dunk.
"We opened the doors for the underdog players that's being recruited by Seton Hall, and don't feel as if anybody else is giving them a chance," he said. "This is a great place to come, and be able to play a game and be who you are."
Collectively, the big three took a program in transition after Kevin Willard’s departure and helped Holloway affix his stamp on it. They authored a bunch of memorable moments, shared the game, and represented the school well. Their performance this season was a monument to the value of continuity – one that is in increasingly short supply across the sport.
2. The postgame scene
There were poignant moments galore after the final horn. For starters, Holloway walked over to a devastated Avila (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, but some crucial misses late) and literally picked Avila's chin up to offer some words of encouragement.
Holloway can be rough around the edges at times, but this gesture was a window into his character.
"I told him, there's no need to have your head down," he said. "You guys played a heck of a game. You guys got a great team. You guys battled. This was a championship game. A bunch of punches going back and forth, and just told him to pick his head up. He's a great player and he's got a lot of basketball to be played."
Then, as the Pirates began cutting down the net, they were encircled by their fans who broke into a chant of "Let's go Jersey!"
Dawes was first to climb the latter and snip a piece off. When it was Richmond's turn, the fans serenaded him with a chant of "one more year!" He smiled broadly and nodded his head in response.
"I appreciate them for coming; my focus tonight was winning a championship with guys in the locker room who have been here since June and fighting day-in and day-out," he said when asked about the chant and the scene. "So we appreciate them for traveling. Some flew. Some were telling me the amount of miles they drove, and we highly appreciate it."
As his players cut the net, Holloway worked the crowd, thanking Pirate fans for coming. He air-conducted the pep band's rendition of Seton Hall's fight song. Then he snipped the net's final piece off and held it aloft.
This marked the third time he's done that. Willard gave him the honor of cutting the last piece after the 2016 Big East Tournament title, and he also cut the net down after Saint Peter's won the 2022 MAAC Tournament, which was the victory that assured he would get the vacant job at his alma mater.
Afterward, upon returning to the team hotel where fans had congregated, the players gave walk-on David Gabriel the honor of carrying in the NIT trophy.
"Proud of everybody who stepped on the court and everybody who was ready," Holloway said. "Because I don't forget the walk-ons and the guys who don't play. They prepare the guys on the court for games like this."
3. A worthy title-game venue
It’s not Madison Square Garden, which hosted the NIT semis and final for decades, but Hinkle is an outstanding replacement. At a cozy 9,100-seats, with a balcony that surrounds the court and provides an intimate old-world setting, outstanding acoustics and dripping with history (as everybody knows, the ultimate scene of “Hoosiers” was filmed there), this was a quality host.
Indiana State fans brought the juice, creating a championship-level atmosphere. Anyone who thinks the NIT has no meaning or value should have witnessed the vibe in that building. To their credit, the Pirates used the hostility as fuel.
"I think we can just credit the league, the Big East for that," Davis said. "I feel like our league really prepared us for this moment."
It's a shame Fox is launching an alternate consolation tournament for high-majors next season, to be played fully in Las Vegas, because the charms of the NIT in venues like Walsh Gym and Hinkle were evident these past few weeks.
The NIT is not the Big Dance as we all know, but this run was proof that it still matters.
4. A trip for the die-hards
Among Pirate supporters on hand was Kevin Regan, the son of Hall legend Richie Regan – who was point guard on the 1953 NIT championship squad. Kevin was wearing the gold watch his father got for winning that tournament. It was willed to him when Richie died in 2002.
“It’s been a great run, and it brings back fantastic memories,” said Kevin Regan, a Brielle resident who came to Indianapolis with his daughter Erinne and sisters Kate and Marybeth. “Now everyone knows how important it was in 1953 – because 70 years later they’re bringing it up. I’ve gotten text about it from people I haven’t talked to in years.”
What would Richie think of this team and its season?
“He’d be happy as he could be because they’re playing well and they represent the school so well,” Kevin said, adding that he’d be particularly proud of Holloway’s leadership. “To see him come up the ranks at Seton Hall and do so well, he would love that.”
Also on hand were former Hall star and NBA coach Adrian Griffin, 1989 Final Four team member Pookey Wigington, and core members of Seton Hall’s student section who drove 700 miles for the occasion.
5. Into the offseason
There was a tangible benefit to Seton Hall’s NIT run. Mike McBride, Deputy Athletics Director for Revenue Generation, NIL & Strategic Initiatives, said the alumni-driven collective Onward Setonia has experienced a clear uptick in support these last three weeks.
“The best part about the run we’ve had this postseason, all the guys who’ve supported us all year long have stepped up and supported us even more because they can see the benefits,” McBride said. “Those that haven’t supported us, who have been negative about what we’re doing with NIL, this has opened their eyes and they’ve become supportive. So it’s really brought the entire Seton Hall community together and they understand the more support they provide, the more we can do with the team. So it’s been really good for everyone.”
While exact numbers are elusive, it’s believed Seton Hall’s NIL war chest is roughly double what it was last year at this time. Keep that in mind as transfer-portal season begins. As with just about every team across the sport’s landscape, the Pirates will experience plenty of movement.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Postgrads Dawes and Bediako are out of eligibility.
Richmond and Davis are candidates to enter the transfer portal and also explore pro-ball opportunities. Richmond, who could command a hefty NIL payday and is also a candidate for a two-way NBA contract, has options galore.
There is a fair chance senior guard Dylan Addae-Wusu will be back for a postgrad season.
Retaining freshman wing Isaiah Coleman, a Big East All-Freshman honoree, will be a high priority. It’s a good sign that Coleman made the trip to Indianapolis to be with his teammates for the title game even though he couldn’t play after spending the past week bedridden with bronchitis.
Backup center Elijah Hutchins-Everett, who hails from Orange, also figures to have a role on next year’s squad. The fate of the rest of the bench is to be determined.
If the Hall can retain Addae-Wusu and Coleman and one of Richmond or Davis, that will be a strong nucleus for next season.
One thing is certain: As players make decisions about their futures, the good vibes produced by this NIT run certainly don't hurt.
And at the very least, no matter what happens, they'll receive a hero's welcome in South Orange for many years to come.
North Texas: 2022-23 National Invitation Tournament Champions
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kai Huntsberry scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half, Tylor Perry scored 14 of his 20 after halftime and North Texas beat fellow Conference USA foe UAB 68-61 on Thursday night to claim the program's first NIT championship.
It was the fourth NIT championship game to feature conference opponents — and the first in 20 years. Conference USA is now 18-2 in the NCAA postseason — with Charlotte winning the College Basketball Invitational title and FAU advancing to the Final Four.
Perry, the conference player of the year and NIT MVP, made a steal and a 3-pointer on a fast break to give North Texas the lead for good at 55-53 with 6:22 remaining. Aaron Scott extended it to 61-55 after making a high-arching layup and a jumper.
UAB guard Jordan Walker was fouled on a 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining and he made two free throws to get within 63-59. North Texas had two shots on its next possession after an offensive rebound and Perry sank a jumper.
After UAB made two more free throws with 49.6 seconds left, Perry dribbled down the clock and hit a step-back jumper, with a foot on the 3-point line, for a 68-61 lead. UAB missed a 3-pointer and Huntsberry was fouled at 13.2 before securing it at the line.
North Texas won its second NCAA postseason championship under sixth-year head coach Grant McCasland. The Mean Green won the 2018 CBI title in his first season in Denton.
Scott finished with 13 points and seven rebounds for North Texas (31-7), which set a program record for wins in a season.
Walker scored 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting for UAB (29-10), which was in the NIT title game for the first time in program history. KJ Buffen added 11 points.
Javian Davis converted a three-point play with 12:43 left in the second half for UAB's first lead, 47-45, since it was 15-14. The Mean Green scored 22 of the first 30 second-half points.
It was the fourth meeting of the season between the teams — with North Texas winning two regular-season meetings before a matchup in the conference tournament semifinals.
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AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Xavier: 2022 National Invitation Tourmament Champions
The No. 2 seed Xavier Musketeers defeated the No. 1 seed Texas A&M Aggies 73-72 in the 2022 NIT Championship Game on Thursday at Madison Square Garden to claim their second NIT title in school history.
It marks an impressive end to the season for the Musketeers, who have been playing under interim head coach Jonas Hayes over the last several weeks after the program parted ways with former head coach Travis Steele.
After falling to Butler in the Big East Tournament, Xavier went on to defeat seventh-seeded Cleveland State 72-68 in the first round of the NIT. The Musketeers also defeated No. 3 seed Florida, No. 4 seed Vanderbilt and No. 5 seed Saint Bonaventure en route to the championship game.
Jack Nunge, Adam Kunkle, Colby Jones and Zach Freemantle were Xavier's leaders in this tournament, and they proved that with big performances in the championship game Thursday.
Nunge, in particular, came up clutch with a bucket off an inbounds pass to give Xavier a one-point lead with 3.1 seconds remaining in the game. The Aggies were given one last chance to win the game after his bucket but were unable to make a shot as time ran out.
The junior forward finished Thursday's game with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Xavier entered halftime down eight points to Texas A&M, which appeared to have all the momentum entering the second half. However, a career performance from Colby Jones helped the Musketeers mount an impressive comeback.
The sophomore guard finished with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists in the win. His 21 points are the most he has ever scored in a game for Xavier.
Sophomore guard Dwon Odom also had an impressive performance, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists.
As for Texas A&M, senior guard Quenton Jackson paced the Aggies with 23 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Tyrece Radford finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and one assist.
Sophomore forward Henry Coleman III, who was the team's second leading scorer this season, had a disappointing performance against Xavier, finishing with just seven points and nine rebounds.
Texas A&M reached the championship game with wins over eighth-seeded Alcorn State, No. 5 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Wake Forest and No. 4 seed Washington State.
Memphis: 2021 National Invitation Tournament Champions
When Alex Lomax pulled his No. 2 jersey over his head before Memphis’ NIT championship game, it was a gesture of hope.
Lomax hadn’t played a second of competition basketball since he sprained his ankle Feb. 27 in what he calls a “freak accident.” The Tigers had played their past eight games without him, six of them wins, and were one win from clinching a title.
So he didn’t really think he would play on Sunday in Frisco, Texas. He didn’t even know if he was physically capable. But something stirred inside him and spurred the junior captain to put on his uniform.
“Me and (walk-on Conor Glennon) actually been around each other these past couple trips and have been talking a lot, and I’d kind of been joking with him, ‘Who’s gonna play more minutes?’ ” Lomax said. “I kind of convinced myself I wanted to dress out with the team and show them some love and show the city some love, but I never really expected it to happen.”
Lomax watched from the sideline as Memphis raced to a 13-point lead against Mississippi State, relinquished it at halftime and fought to regain control in the second half. With 45 seconds remaining in the game and Memphis up 77-60, coach Penny Hardaway called Lomax’s number.
As Lomax walked onto the court, he raised his right hand to the ceiling, overcome with emotion.
“Just being out there, it just meant the world to me because I just wish I could’ve been out there helping the guys out earlier in the season,” he said, “because I feel deep down in my heart if the injury never happened, we wouldn’t be in the NIT tournament, we’d be in the NCAA Tournament.”
Memphis closed the season with 11 wins in its last 13 games, the only losses coming to now-Elite Eight team Houston. Lomax had a front-row seat to it all, but it was from the passenger side instead of in the driver’s seat.
When Lomax first got hurt, stepping awkwardly on a teammate’s foot in practice, team trainers told him he was looking at an eight-week recovery period.
“I told myself, I’m not gonna let this be an eight-week injury. I’m gonna work as hard as I can and try my best to come back,” he said. “It’s been three to four weeks and just for me to be walking and jogging right now is just a blessing. . . . I never felt I could be myself, but I made a lot of progress.”
Although he wasn’t on the court, Lomax said his experience coaching from the sideline was meaningful and “made me a better player and a better person.”
He was out of his walking boot and on a light practice schedule throughout the NIT run, mostly doing stationary shooting. There was never any real expectation he would play in the tournament.
Putting Lomax on the court for the closing seconds in the championship game was Hardaway’s nod to their long shared history, which began at Lester Middle School with the late coach Desmond Merriweather.
“A-Lo’s been through everything with me as a player, from sixth grade all the way up till now, and for him not to be able to play in this NIT to help his brothers, I know it was killing him on the inside,” Hardaway said. “Sometimes you can be forgotten when you’re not in the spotlight. But he was so pivotal and important to us because he kept the guys level-headed when they came to the bench.
“He kept a level head on practice days and in the hotel and he knew he couldn’t play, but he brought that leadership. So to be able to put him out there and think about Dez at the same time, it got a little emotional because we’ve come to win championships and the NIT is just a start.”
After the final buzzer, Lomax reveled in the glory with his teammates, cradling the NIT trophy and mugging for photos with the net draped around his neck.
“Gotta give it to Coach Penny, today was the first day we got to see him do his dance and he got the whole team hyped behind him,” he said.
Lomax said he is enjoying celebrating the win while also looking to next season, when he’ll be a senior with a chance to make up for lost time.
“Most definitely I will be working hard this summer to come back,” he said.
In 18 games with four starts, Lomax averaged 22.7 minutes, 6.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He and the Tigers (20-8) finished the season as champions, a long ways from where they started.
“I just say we went from boys to men,” he said. “A lot of guys had to mature a lot. Coach wanted greatness for us and we had to realize he wasn’t gonna stop till he got the greatness out of us.”
Sunday’s championship was the peak of that greatness, and it was then that Lomax, the player who has been called the Tigers’ “heart and soul,” rejoined his teammates.
For anyone who has watched him play the past three years, there’s no doubt that Lomax — a Memphian by birth, a guy who customarily ended his news conferences with a gleeful, “GTG, baby!” — is a Tiger through and through.
So even though the Tigers accomplished a lot without him, when Lomax stepped onto the court, it felt like he made the them whole again.
Texas: 2019 National Invitation Tournament Champions
NEW YORK -- Texas can hook its horns to an NIT championship.
Dylan Osetkowski had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead Texas to the NIT championship with an 81-66 win over Lipscomb on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
"It's great to win a championship," coach Shaka Smart said.
The Longhorns (21-16) beat South Dakota State, Xavier, Colorado and TCU to reach the final, and survived a few late shots at the lead to win their first NIT title since 1978.
Smart, just 71-66 in four seasons with the Longhorns, got Texas to cut down the nets the same time he is reportedly on the short list of candidates to take the UCLA vacancy. Texas has not won an NCAA Tournament game under Smart and few Texas fans would weep if he left for the Bruins.
Texas fans at the Garden enjoyed the title and held up the "hook em" hand gesture as the final seconds ticked off.
Smart was doused with water in the locker room and had a towel with him as he walked to a press conference.
"There have been teams that have come and won the NIT and used it as an unbelievable springboard," Smart said. "And there's teams that haven't."
Jase Febres held off the pesky Bisons -- don't call it a comb-back -- with 3s in the second half that extended the lead to 13 points each time and kept the Longhorns firmly in charge. He finished with 16 points and Kerwin Roach II had 16.
Smart shared a moment with the troubled Roach on the court, an emotional time for a senior in his final game who has been suspended three times over his career. Roach was named the NIT's most outstanding player.
"He's had some phenomenal moments," Smart said. "I don't think he thought he'd be in college this long."
Long enough to go out a champion.
Texas won in front of about 3,000 spectators, and not one sitting above the lower bowl.
Penn State about packed MSG last year, in large part because of a substantial alumni base and rapper Flavor Flav in the house rooting on his cousin.
But this year?
Well, there were a few hundred fans in burnt orange and that was about it.
So why come to this game?
Hours after the Mets won their home opener against the Washington Nationals, the train hub at Penn Station was packed with fans in Mets jerseys. Some even decided to make it a day-night doubleheader and hit MSG.
There was a small group that had made NIT games a tradition for the last 10 years. In a StubHub era in which tickets are grossly inflated from their face value cost, one fan said there wasn't anywhere else u can sit in the front row and watch basketball for a reasonable price.
StubHub had tickets in the prime 100 level going for $11 bucks 24 hours before tip -- which is at least cheaper than a concession stand burger. When one fan yawned toward the end of the first half, a security guard chirped, "it's too early for that."
Eh, not really.
Osetkowski hit three 3s for 15 points in the first half and the Longhorns raced out to a 41-27 lead. The Longhorns will take their shorn nets back to Texas -- with Smart's fate yet to be determined.
Garrison Mathews, named an Associated Press All-America honorable mention, scored 15 points for the Bisons (29-8). He made all 10 free throws but missed 8 of 10 shots from the floor. With their best player in a funk, Lipscomb was doomed.
"They took Garrison for the large part out of the game," Casey Alexander said. "The only thing to be sad about is that it's over."
Penn State: 2018 National Invitation Tournament Champions
NEW YORK -- Flavor Flav had his red cap flipped backward as he pulled out his iPhone on the Madison Square Garden court. Flav held the camera steady and recorded cousin Shep Garner clip the final strands of the championship net and wave it toward the Penn State die-hards.
Flav's T-shirt at the NIT said it all for the Nittany Lions: Believe the hype!
Garner hit the 3-pointer that brought rapper and reality star Flavor Flav to his feet and helped send Penn State on its way to an NIT title in an 82-66 victory over Utah on Thursday night.
The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions (26-13) also knocked off No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the tournament en route to winning their first NIT title since 2009.
"This means the whole world to me right now," Flavor Flav said.
They were pretty pumped in Happy Valley, too.
"I think we set the standard," Garner said. "We preach defense and rebounding, but now we have something we can always go to. We won something. We're champions."
Flavor Flav, member of the seminal 1980s rap group Public Enemy, sang along to "Fight the Power" as it blasted in the Garden and had the PSU student section chanting "Flav! Flav! Flav!" as the Nittany Lions pulled away for a program-defining championship under coach Pat Chambers.
Lamar Stevens scored 28 points, Josh Reaves had 18 and Tony Carr had 15 points and 14 assists for Penn State.
Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center has a long-standing reputation as one of the dreariest arenas in college basketball. Penn State fans, from rappers to silver-haired alumni, filled the Garden for a decided crowd advantage.
Penn State football coach James Franklin, who led the program to a Pinstripe Bowl victory in 2014, was in the house. Flavor Flav stole the show a few rows behind the PSU bench. Wearing a T-shirt that read "33 Shep Garner," Flavor Flav danced all night in his seat. Flavor Flav popped his T-shirt and raised the roof in the same arena where Public Enemy once tore down the house.
"I think we've proven to teams across the country that Penn State basketball is here to stay," Chambers said.
The clutch moment came in the third quarter when Garner -- who became Penn State's career 3-point leader in the tournament run -- hit a 3 for his first basket of the game and a 49-41 lead that had the fans going wild.
"To see my cousin break records, win trophies, all that, he deserves it," Flavor Flav said. "The whole team deserves it."
Reaves hit a crashing layup on a three-point play that stretched the lead to 11 and Stevens wagged his tongue toward the PSU fans on a jumper that helped blow open the game.
Flavor Flav raised an arm in the air when Garner sank a 3 early in the fourth for a 68-49 edge that all but put this one away.
The final minutes certainly put some flava in your ear -- half the MSG crowd chanted "We Are!" and the other half bellowed "Penn State!"
Yeah, boy!
Sedrick Barefield hit six 3s and scored 22 points for second-seeded Utah (23-12).
"You're always kind of watching the NIT and maybe you think of it as the consolation prize or whatever," Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "They have no idea how cool this was for us."
BIG PICTURE:
Utah: David Collette, Justin Bibbins and Tyler Rawson are among the seniors moving on. ... Bibbins scored 15 points.
Penn State: Stevens reached 1,000 career points was named most outstanding player. ... Chambers, a former assistant coach under Jay Wright at Villanova, took over in 2011 and has struggled to find any kind of regular success. The Nittany Lions have never made the NCAA Tournament under Chambers and they'll have just their second winning record in seven seasons. But Penn State's 26 wins are second-highest in program history. The Nittany Lions won a record 27 games in 2008-09.
BIG CROWD
The 11,175 fans at MSG were the most for an NIT final since 2005.
"And you say we're a football school," Chambers cracked.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The NIT was a bit of a mad scientist in the college basketball lab. The game featured four 10-minute quarters. The tournament also implemented the FIBA 3-point line (22 feet, 1.75 inches), NBA-width lane of 16 inches, and a 20-second shot clock following offensive rebounds.
TCU: 2017 National Invitation Tournament Champions
NEW YORK -- Brandon Parrish sat at the podium, wearing a commemorative t-shirt and a net draped around his neck. To his right was coach Jamie Dixon. On his left was Kenrich Williams.
Parrish made sure to savor the moment.
"We have something that's forever," he said. "Nobody can ever take this away from us."
Williams had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and TCU routed Georgia Tech 88-56 in the NIT championship on Thursday night. The junior guard, who missed last season because of a knee injury, went 8 for 14 from the field and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
"We knew he was a good player," Dixon said. "We've found better ways to use him in even better situations where we're even more comfortable and to be honest, he was out of about a year and a half. He's just now getting his legs under him and getting game-like conditions. You're seeing the numbers that he's putting up. His play down the stretch has been unbelievable."
TCU opened with a 20-3 run on its way to the program's first NIT title. Vlad Brodziansky scored 18 points for the Horned Frogs (24-15), and Alex Robinson had 10 points and 11 assists.
Tadric Jackson led Georgia Tech (21-16) with 19 points. Josh Okogie had 12 points and six rebounds.
"We played to the last buzzer," Georgia Tech senior Quinton Stephens said. "We stuck together. We stayed with the way we need to play.
"It was bigger than us. We knew bigger things were coming and this is only the beginning."
It was the first meeting between the programs since Dec. 21, 1967, and No. 3 overall. And it mostly belonged to TCU, which never trailed.
The Horned Frogs led 38-27 at halftime, and it was more of the same in the second half. Williams and Brodziansky threw down thunderous dunks, and Williams knocked down a 3 to help push the advantage to 54-39.
"They punched us first," Stephens said. "We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole."
TCU shot 51 percent (35 for 68) from the field and held Georgia Tech to 35.7 percent (20 for 56) shooting. The Yellow Jackets also committed 17 turnovers, leading to 28 points for TCU, and the Horned Frogs also had 21 second-chance points.
"In a high-level game you can't do that," said Josh Pastner, who took over as Georgia Tech's coach last April. "We had too many turnovers and they gave up too many second chances."
The lead grew to 69-49 on Williams' breakaway jam with 6:44 left. Desmond Bane tacked on a 3 from in front of the TCU bench, helping kick off the celebration for the Horned Frogs.
Dixon emptied his bench in the final minutes, and reserve Josh Parrish had a breakaway windmill jam in the final seconds.
"I've always known my brother was so bouncy," Brandon Parrish said with a laugh. "To be able to see him come off the bench after 39 minutes and be able to jump up there and do a windmill, it was just phenomenal for us to be able to share this moment."
WORTH NOTING
The 32-point win matches the largest margin of victory in NIT championship game history. Bradley set the record in 1964 with an 86-54 rout of New Mexico.
BIG PICTURE
Georgia Tech: Despite the loss, it was a successful season for the Yellow Jackets. A program Pastner referred to as a "major rebuild job" as recently as Tuesday won 21 games and competed in a national postseason tournament. "I promise you," Pastner said after the game. "To be playing in this final game, it's miraculous."
TCU: Dixon improved to 28-15 all-time at Madison Square Garden.
SLOW START
The Yellow Jackets did not have a field goal until Ben Lammers' jumper 5:03 into the game. Prior to Lammers' basket, Georgia Tech was 0 for 6 from the field and had committed four turnovers.
"We dug ourselves a hole and we totally were trying to climb out of it the entire evening," Pastner said. "It just made it hard on us and we just could never really get over that hump or get it close enough."
George Washington Colonials: 2016 National Invitation Tournament Champions
NEW YORK -- George Washington coach Mike Lonergan held his young daughter in his arms near center court at Madison Square Garden, waiting to climb a ladder and cut down the net.
Now he can replace that one his buddy sent him weeks ago for good luck.
"It was in the locker room tonight," Lonergan said after the Colonials beat Valparaiso 76-60 on Thursday for the school's first National Invitation Tournament championship. "I'm not a big motivation guy, but I'll tell you, I felt that net before every game. And I told those guys, `We win, I'm wearing one of those nets. I don't care what we do with the other one."
Kevin Larsen scored 18 points, Patricio Garino added 14 and fourth-seeded George Washington (28-10) set a school record for wins in a season with a dominant performance in the second half.
The Colonials won their fourth straight game against a higher-seeded team and sent three senior starters out with a tournament trophy, softening the sting of being rebuffed by the NCAA selection committee.
"It makes it feel a whole lot better," Larsen said. "Like we said, we'd rather win the NIT than get bounced one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament. That's been the mindset."
Larsen, Garino and point guard Joe McDonald, part of Lonergan's first full recruiting class at George Washington, walked off winners in their final college game. They arrived with the Colonials coming off a 10-21 season, but made the NCAA Tournament as sophomores.
"These guys, I wanted (them) to leave a legacy. We didn't make the NCAAs (this year) and we were all heartbroken and it's hard to bounce back, but they bounced back," Lonergan said. "We played our best basketball end of March. I told them I wanted, instead of senior night, I wanted it to be senior month. And that's what it was."
Junior forward Tyler Cavanaugh, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, scored 12. He averaged 19.4 points and nine rebounds in five NIT games.
McDonald had 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists with no turnovers for George Washington, which extended a one-point halftime lead to 19 late in the game. The Colonials went 22 for 26 at the foul line, compared to 6 of 6 for Valpo.
"We're not there yet. I want to get to NCAAs and make a run, but this is a great stepping stone," Lonergan said, with one of the two nets his team cut down draped around his neck.
"We're an up-and-coming program that has great history," he added. "So this is a big deal for our university, our players and our program, and I'm proud of these guys that helped put our program back on the map. But we are not where we want to be yet. We want to keep this thing growing."
George Washington, which started players from Argentina, Denmark and Japan, used its 1-3-1 zone to hold Valparaiso star Alec Peters to two points in the second half. Peters finished with 15 and was the only double-figure scorer for the top-seeded Crusaders (30-7), who went 8 for 28 from 3-point range.
"It's going to stick with us throughout the offseason," Peters said.
The second unit helped GW rip off a 16-4 run early in the second half that pushed the advantage to 13. Valparaiso never got within single digits again.
"We made them look bad, so I give our guys credit, but that's a heck of a team," Lonergan said.
It was the first title in a national postseason tournament for the Colonials, who enjoyed much of the fan support among the crowd of 7,016. The school is located four blocks from the White House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and New York City is about a 225-mile trip up I-95. Some trains take less than three hours.
"NCAAs is always the goal, but we proved this year that you can make a lot of memories in this great tournament," Cavanaugh said.
Neither team had reached the semifinals of the NIT before, and this was the first meeting between the schools.
"I told our guys, one game doesn't define your season," Crusaders coach Bryce Drew said. "We just seemed like we couldn't really get a rhythm going."
ON POINT
Both senior point guards played through injuries in their final college game. McDonald was able to start after twisting his ankle during Tuesday night's semifinal rout of San Diego State. Crusaders sparkplug Keith Carter sprained his right foot with about 6 minutes to go in the first half, hitting the floor after jostling with Cavanaugh underneath. Carter initially stayed in the game, keying an 8-0 run with five points and an assist on Peters' fast-break 3 that tied it at 24. But at the 5:21 mark, Carter came out and missed the rest of the first half. He returned to start the second.
TIP-INS
George Washington: Larsen, Garino and McDonald joined Cavanaugh on the all-tournament team. ... It was GW's sixth trip to the NIT. ... Besides the Colonials, lower-seeded teams struggled in the NIT. They finished 6-25, including the four wins by GW. ... Cavanaugh, a Wake Forest transfer who reached double figures in every game this season, didn't score until converting a three-point play with 7:34 left in the first half.
Valparaiso: The Crusaders, who shot 39 percent from the floor, fell to 10-15 against teams from the Atlantic 10. ... Before this week, Valpo had not played at Madison Square Garden since the 1940s. ... Peters, who made the all-tournament team, had at least 20 points in seven consecutive games before scoring 15 in the semifinals.
UP NEXT
George Washington: The Colonials lose their three senior starters, but Cavanaugh is back.
Valparaiso: Peters, who shot 6 for 14 and grabbed 10 rebounds, returns next season.
Stanford: 2015 National Invitation Tournament Champions
NEW YORK -- With the season -- and his record-breaking career -- winding down, Chasson Randle found a way to deliver one last time and help bring another NIT title home to Stanford.
Asked if he initiated contact, he replied, "The ref called it. I can't do anything about it."
After a Miami turnover, Anthony Brown was fouled and made one free throw to make it 66-64, but the Hurricanes had one more chance. But Sheldon McClellan's off-balance jumper from the right corner fell short and Stanford (24-13) began to celebrate.
Dawkins, in his seventh year, acknowledged that the program's aspirations extend well behind the NIT, college basketball's consolation prize. "We are a program that wants to compete in the NCAA and wants to compete for championships," he said. "Unfortunately, that has not happened as much as we would like.
"But our last four years, we've won two NIT championships and we have gone to the Sweet 16. I don't think that's horrible. I think we have shown we can be competitive in either tournament."
Randle, who ended his career with a Stanford-record 2,375 points, scored Stanford's final four points in regulation, which ended at 59-59. With fans for both teams rising to their feet, he twice slashed down the right side to bank home scores.
The Hurricanes forced overtime on McClellan's driving score with 16.8 seconds to play.
Minnesota: 2014 NIT Champions
NEW YORK -- As time wound off the clock at Madison Square Garden on a rainy Thursday night, Richard Pitino looked frazzled.
He tugged at his chin. He kept reshuffling his beige suit jacket. His nerves were tangibly bothering him in late in the second half. But with the game's last possession seconds away, Pitino did the only thing he's known how to do since he was a boy. He turned to his dad for advice.
As he peered to his right, he found Rick Pitino sitting behind him with former Louisville star Peyton Siva in the sea of gold and burgundy apparel from the Golden Gopher faithful. Siva cast a wide grin and the elder Pitino was coaching his son from the first row. Pitino was seconds away from his first title of any kind in his first year at Minnesota.
"My dad played him [Larry Brown and SMU] twice, and I learned that we have totally different teams," Pitino said during his post-game press conference with his daughter in his lap.And as he cut down the nets with his season ending in success, there was finally a distinction between the younger and older Pitino. Only one had lifted any type of championship hardware in 2014 between the NCAA and NIT Tournaments.
"We did speak about [the championship game], but having my whole family being behind the bench was a lot of fun. Hopefully this is just the beginning for me at Minnesota. My family knows how much I brag about it here."
Pitino has every right to brag about his strong first season. The Golden Gophers finished their campaign under the second-year coach with 25 wins, the first time they've reached that mark since the 1996-97 season where they finished 31-4 and went to the Final Four, which was counted as "unofficial" due to academic fraud charges.
Last season ended in a third round loss in the NCAA Tournament and Tubby Smith being fired. This season seemed to infuse the Golden Gophers with new life. With Pitino at the helm, there is now a concrete answer for Minnesota's future in the Big 10.
"When your name is Pitino, you're going to be a great coach and this kid has done a phenomenal job," Larry Brown said following his team's loss. "[Elder Pitino] was at practice. I'm sure he told them ways to beat us because [Louisville] beat us twice."
Pitino found a way to get his players to buy into his methodology very early. He started by changing the culture in the locker room at Minnesota currently and for his upcoming years with the Golden Gophers by signing three three-star athletes to replace his graduating seniors.
Austin Hollins, the Golden Gophers' senior leader, hit a three late in the contest that sent SMU packing. And to him, it was just an extension of Pitino's coaching all season.
Hollins said his work ethic increased since Pitino came to Minnesota and the outcome was the NIT championship.
"There's a number of things," Hollins said when asked what Pitino has taught him in one season. "Going out there and playing as hard as you can, he expects perfection and I think that was one thing this year that he's gotten out of me. He's pushed my game to the highest level it could be."
The long-practices, the grueling tape sessions and the 13 loses, the blemishes on his first season were easily forgotten for an instance.As Pitino climbed the crimson ladder on the far end of the Garden's golden hardwoods and cut the net down with a horde of Gopher fans surrounding the court, he paused before turning forward. He pointed to each of his players and hoisted the net above his grey, silvery mane to the applause of hundreds.
Pitino achieved in one season what many coaches fail to do over a tenure at their respective universities: he got his team to buy-in to his message. The 31-year old coach got the Golden Gophers walking out of Madison Square Garden with a confident strut of royalty.
"The guys that were here," Pitino said. "Coach Smith recruited great people, people with substance. All kids that when they are don playing basketball, are going to be very successful off the court. They are all great representatives of the University of Minnesota. And then the guys that we brought in were similar to those guys, easy to get along with, easy to coach. Never any issues. We had great chemistry from the start."
"For them to walk off champions," Pitino continued. "and for the guys coming back to understand what it takes to take that next step is exciting for us. I'm fired up for it. We can just keep moving forward as a program."
Baylor: 2013 NIT Champions
NEW YORK — The bright lights of Broadway eat up the meek and timid, so Baylor charged out for the NIT championship game with a mean, aggressive defensive mindset.
For the next 40 minutes, the Bears never let that intensity waver, and now they’re bringing home a title.
Smothering Iowa with unyielding man-to-man defense, the Bears pulled away for a 74-54 win Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to capture the NIT crown in emphatic fashion.
After losing a 69-63 decision to Penn State in the 2009 NIT title game, the championship was sweet for the Bears (23-14). It was Baylor’s first national tournament title of any kind and marked the first time a Big 12 team has won the NIT.
“We’ve seen enough teams celebrate before, so it’s great to win a championship,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “It’s good for us and it’s good to be the first Big 12 team to win the NIT. Any team that makes the postseason has great chemistry, and we have that.”
With freshman center Isaiah Austin collecting five blocks and nine rebounds and senior guard A.J. Walton amassing six steals, the Bears’ defense was fierce in the paint and on the perimeter. The Hawkeyes shot just 26.1 percent and hit five of 24 from 3-point range.
“Iowa does a great job pushing the ball and executing their offense well,” Drew said. “But A.J. took them out of it with his pressure on the point guard and that set the tone. He had great steals. When you’re so active that you’re cramping up, it shows you’re putting it out there with the effort.”
When Baylor’s offense began playing with the same efficiency as its defense in the second half, it was all over for the Hawkeyes (25-13).
Pierre Jackson, the final four’s most outstanding player, was Baylor’s motor once again as he finished his career with 17 points and 10 assists to bring his five-game NIT total to 98 points and 55 assists.
Cory Jefferson piled up 23 points on eight of 11 field goals and threw down some impressive slams to finish the tournament with 106 points. Austin chipped in 15 points to complement his defensive exploits.
“I’m just extremely proud of the way we played,” Jackson said. “It was domination. Isaiah had a great game and A.J. fired us up from the jump. I just tried to get my teammates involved and get to the paint and knock down shots.”
After holding Iowa to 25 percent shooting, the Bears went into halftime with a 27-22 lead. The Hawkeyes quickly cut the lead to 28-27 when Eric May drained a trey and then weaved inside for a basket.
Then the Bears kicked their offense into high gear and the Hawkeyes never caught them.
Jefferson got the attack rolling with an outside shot and Jackson drilled a trey. After Austin blocked Roy Devyn Marble’s drive, the streaking Jackson drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws. With a pair of slams by Jefferson, the Bears stretched their lead to 39-29 with 14:43 remaining.
The Hawkeyes tried to gain ground but it was futile as Jackson buried a trey from the top of the arc and Rico Gathers hit a rare outside shot. Austin raised the roof when he threw down a one-handed slam on an inbounds pass.
When Jackson nailed his third trey of the half, the Bears extended their lead to 49-34 with 10:40 remaining.
Austin kept busy defensively as he blocked two more shots. Following two more Jefferson slams, the Bears stretched their lead to 60-39 with 6:12 remaining.
“I thought Baylor’s defense was good in two areas – they got up into us on the perimeter with their quickness and their length bothered us around the rim,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “We settled for too many jump shots. We’re usually more of driving team and we didn’t do that tonight.”
Baylor’s intense defense was there from the opening tipoff as Iowa hit just three of its first 13 shots. The Hawkeyes hit seven of 28 first-half shots including two of 11 from 3-point range as the Bears opened up a 27-22 halftime lead.
With Austin leading the way, the Bears jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead in the first four minutes. Austin hit Baylor’s first two field goals before Brady Heslip buried a trey and Jefferson wedged inside for a basket.
Iowa got on a mini-roll to cut Baylor’s lead to 11-9 as Anthony Clemmons buried a trey and Aaron White hit a short jumper. But Austin came up big again as he drove inside for a basket, drew a foul and hit the free throw.
Then Walton began to assert himself defensively as he stole the ball and broke loose for a slam. Gathers followed with a slam and another inside basket to stretch Baylor’s lead to 20-14 with 6:58 remaining in the first half.
Iowa State’s last five points of the first half came on free throws but Walton continued to get into the passing lanes as the Hawkeyes could never got a consistent offensive attack flowing.
BEAR FACTS: While Pierre Jackson was named most outstanding player, he was joined on the all-NIT final four team by teammates Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson, Iowa’s Roy Devyn Marble and Maryland’s Alex Len.
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