West Virginia is Consoled by Winning NIT

As the final buzzer sounded Frank Young and the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball team could finally smile. It wasn't the NCAA tournament, but it was a victory to end the season as well as another championship to display proudly.

Only three weeks ago West Virginia had lost to Louisville in the Big East semifinal, making what seemed a certain trip to the tournament a possible question mark. Then their worst fears were realized as they were past over to go to the tournament. So they settled for the NIT along with other passed by teams including Mississippi State and Clemson. Now, three weeks later they can hold their heads up high after manhandling Clemson to win the NIT.

The final score may want to hint at a close game, but this was not the case. West Virginia controlled the tempo of the game, breaking at half with a double digit lead. This was mostly due to West Virginia's signature three point shooting abilities. The team went 12-20, meaning 60% three point shooting. Led by Frank Young who contributed six from behind the arc and 24 points overall, the Mountaineers confirmed the notion of being the best team left out of the tournament.

Syracuse couch Jim Boeheim had told ESPN that the NCAA Tournament needed to be expanded to be able to include more of the bubble teams that deserved entry. Just days later his team, which he had considered a lock to enter, missed the tournament. The somewhat confusing part is that if they would have gotten in they would not be a 16 seed but an 8 or 9 seed. So really West Virginia can lay claim to not only being the best team missing the tournament, but possibly a worthy contender to go deep, had they made the tournament.

So the Question is, what is better? Do you go to the tournament and lose early, or go to the NIT with a chance to win it all? But of course everybody will give the same answer, they would rather go to The Dance. Especially a team like West Virginia, or their final opponent Clemson, who might have been able to win a few games, even make a run to the Final Four, had they gotten to the tournament.

That is the fundamental problem with the NCAA tournament, that it is not actually the 65 best teams in the tournament. First every team who has won their conference, be it the Big East or the Big Sky, gets invited, and a lot of these teams have little chance of making it by the first round. Yet on the whole March Madness is still a great tournament, and each team that missed it will admit that they could have done more to become a lock. Air Force is an example, a team who did wonderful the first half of the season, yet afterwards spiraled down to the point where an early exit out of their conference tournament cost them a berth. That is apparently what the NIT is for, those teams that just need a second chance. West Virginia showed yesterday that they certainly appreciated that chance and can end their season in victory.