MBB Final: Louisiana 85, Arkansas State 74

[Bandwagon King]

Of course it matters if we make the NIT. What a dumb comment.

Some of our best memories are NIT memories.

The NIT is a reward (either at large or automatic) for having a very good regular season.

If your attitude is NCAA or bust, then it really IS about four days in March and nothing else matters.

Which ____es most of you off, if memory serves.

Some of the worst memories I have are of us losing in the NIT tournament.

[Turbine]

About as dumb as you thinking the NIT matters!

The NIT matters... but the program overall doesnt matter (as much) if the NIT starts out as the goal.

[ULvictory]

So it's all about three days in March....except when it suits you to say otherwise. My apologies.

To be fair, the 3 days in March are important. I would also like to finish higher than than 8th place in the conference to pull it off.

[Turbine]

Some of the worst memories I have are of us losing in the NIT tournament.

Shows it matters

[cajun4life]

At the beginning of the season Marlin had to do one of two things to ensure his job was safe.

1. Win the SBC regular season. Which ensures a NIT birth.

2. Win the SBC Tournament, which guarantees a March Madness birth.

Well, he failed at number 1. So all he has left is to win the SBC Tournament. If he doesn’t do that, regardless of this season his tenure should be over.

[Bandwagon King]

Shows it matters

It only matters when you have a good/great season capped by a bad/disappointing tournament showing followed up by laying a turd in the NIT. Then it pretty much turns a good season into a poo poo sandwich. Been there, done that. Don't need to do it again.

[SlickRick]

At the beginning of the season Marlin had to do one of two things to ensure his job was safe.

1. Win the SBC regular season. Which ensures a NIT birth.

2. Win the SBC Tournament, which guarantees a March Madness birth.

Well, he failed at number 1. So all he has left is to win the SBC Tournament. If he doesn’t do that, regardless of this season his tenure should be over.

We can still win the regular season, though it will take USM and Marshall both losing their games tomorrow and us beating a red hot USA team.

But, what if we finished the regular season at or even below .500 winning percentage and then won the tournament to get to the big dance. Would that be considered a success? Even if it meant being a 13 or greater seed and getting stoned in the first round?

[Bandwagon King]

At the beginning of the season Marlin had to do one of two things to ensure his job was safe.

1. Win the SBC regular season. Which ensures a NIT birth.

2. Win the SBC Tournament, which guarantees a March Madness birth.

Well, he failed at number 1. So all he has left is to win the SBC Tournament. If he doesn’t do that, regardless of this season his tenure should be over.

His job is safe simply based on what Jay posted earlier. The decision rests in the hands of the administration. And the administration being the gutless cowards they are will keep him around because he is the easy safe choice to make. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. This has been the UL model of success for generations. No need to change now.

[CajunEXPRESS]

The NIT matters... but the program overall doesnt matter (as much) if the NIT starts out as the goal.

The NIT for a one team conference is a reward for a good season that fell short of the goal.

[ULvictory]

The NIT matters... but the program overall doesnt matter (as much) if the NIT starts out as the goal.

Agreed. That shouldn't be the "overall" standard. And the coaches have said it as such when they said that the NCAA Tournament is the ultimate goal.

Let's be honest here. Last night, more fans were willing to sit in the rain at The Tigue on a Wednesday Night over an air conditioned Cajundome to watch our 22-7 team compete for a conference championship. But it's not because of the 3 days in March. It's everything that goes beyond that. It's the past 4 years of averaging 6th place in conference. It's the constant "fumbles" of the coach's speak we have had to endure which comes off as supporting complacency. It's the constant number of excuses and justifications, like throwing our nationally ranked football team under the bus, of why we have lost to teams beneath us. It's the fact that we have given every reason in the book of why we can't achieve like claiming that our AD gave all of the operating money to football when our basketball program had the second largest budget in the conference behind Georgia State going into last season.

When these statements are said publicly, what fan would want to support that? Basically, you turn people away with that mindset. That's why it took the Cajun Chicken to make an appearance to get people back to games. Barring a tournament appearance, it's over with the fanbase. I don't even know if an NIT appearance would salvage it. Personally, I'd be ok with an NIT appearance. But I'm just one fan.

[CajunT]

We can still win the regular season, though it will take USM and Marshall both losing their games tomorrow and us beating a red hot USA team.

But, what if we finished the regular season at or even below .500 winning percentage and then won the tournament to get to the big dance. Would that be considered a success? Even if it meant being a 13 or greater seed and getting stoned in the first round?

He wins the regular season championship or the SBC Tournament, he has earned his extension.

[Bandwagon King]

The NIT for a one team conference is a reward for a good season that fell short of the goal.

The NIT is also a reward for a team from a P-5 conference who had a remarkably crappy season & fell short of all of its goals followed up by one & done conference tournament so they can finally beat up on some poor mid major & finally feel good about themselves like they were doing two months prior.