NIT saw 15-10 team when it eyed Trojans

Apparently, it came down to one factor — victories.

UALR still hasn’t been given a clear-cut reason for its snub by the NIT, but indications are that the Trojans’ 15 victories against Division I schools didn’t match up with Western Kentucky’s 20.

The committee wasn’t swayed by UALR’s Rating Percentage Index rank of 61 or two victories over Western Kentucky (21-8, 63 RPI), which along with Denver (20-10, 87 RPI) will represent the Sun Belt Conference in the NIT.

Neither played as difficult a schedule as UALR or had as many quality victories. Nor was either ranked higher in the Ratings Percentage Index, released by The Collegiate Basketball News through The Associated Press on Sunday night.

UALR was 18-10 overall, but the NIT considered the Trojans only 15-10. "I just feel really bad for our kids, our coaches and our fans," UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson said. "We did everything we thought we were supposed to do. Our numbers were what they were supposed to be. We had success, played up, won on the road and had a strong strength of schedule. Still, no invitation."

It marked the first time since the NIT expanded to 40 teams in 2002 that a school with a RPI rank better than 90 and a winning record was left out of the field. Akron (19-10, 55 RPI) also was excluded this year.

NIT Executive Director Jack Powers didn’t return numerous phone messages, but he did call KABZ-FM’s mid-day show on Monday and cited UALR’s three victories over non-Division I schools as a factor. "That was a decision that was made by the committee. I just sit in and run the meeting, but they decided they weren’t going to take Arkansas-Little Rock. I really don’t have the answers for you," Powers said, distancing himself from the selection process.

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BY JEFFREY SLATTON