When are NIT invites handed out?

[Khan4Cats]

I think Bradley and Missouri State will get in. I know some of you are thinking I'm smoking the crack pipe, but I'm serious. It will take some of the 'right teams' winning their conference tourneys, but I think it happens.

I'll stick with the stat:
No 20 win team in a top 5 conference has been left out of the MVC tourney, since at least 1999 (which is how far my info goes back to).

I'm with you on this. I still have a gut feeling that both may make it. Despite the old argument that teams get bids not conferences, I think the Valley puts 5 teams in the post-season, and maybe a 6th if the NCAA goes for the $$$ with WSU and tries to give them a home date. (Not that $$$ is ever a consideration ) But if you look at the conferences around us (the BcS), ACC=9-10 post-season bids; SEC= 9-11; Pac-10= 6-7; Big Ten= 7-8; Big East= 7-10; Big XII= 6-7; then it falls off- MWC prob. 4; WAC 1-4; A-10 2-4.... No reason we should only see 3 or 4 from the MVC, when we stack up more evenly with the top conferences.

[ceaser150]

I don't understand why so many of the experts are discounting Bradley and MSU. Their numbers match up with several of the top 25 teams out there. I think MSU finally breaks through, especially after last year's screw job. I would love to see a first round matchup in a 5-12 game with Maryland.

[BCPanther]

Bradley and Mo State are being discounted because the front of their shirts don't say "Purdue" or "West Virginia"

I don't think that the national "experts" know how good these teams are. Hopefully, the committee will. And hopefully this will cause Billy Packer to have a massive stroke during the selection show

[panther2317]

SI.com is focusing on what it wants to for keeping the Bears out. If they looked a little closer, MSU has at least 9 wins vs. the Top 100. That was a stat they used last night on ESPN saying that was a reason Syracuse should get in. There are about 15 different things that they focus on for criteria and they can use 1 or all 15...but I think they choose to use the criteria that is convenient for the teams that they want in or out...whichever helps them make their argument.