Well, this is different. Usually this time of year Saluki fans are waiting to see what kind of seed the Salukis will be getting in the big dance... but not this year. The good news is there will be postseason basketball for the Salukis, only this time it will be of the NIT variety.
One website, nitology.com has SIU in the NIT as a 4 seed. That would be good enough to get a first round home game. The question that comes to my mind is - would SIU Arena sell out for a home NIT game?
The potential opponent might have something to do with it. If Oklahoma State or Minnesota were to come to Carbondale I think fans would be more interested in the matchup.
What about the CBI you ask? While the CBI does intend to compete with the NIT for bids, it looks like most schools will view the NIT above the CBI, at least until it becomes more established. Also, the NCAA now runs the NIT so schools might feel a bit of pressure to go where the NCAA leads them.
It's too bad Illinois wasn't just a little better this year because it would have been fun to see these two teams meet in the postseason. For the second year in a row Illinois did not hold up their end of the bargain so it's not going to happen this season.
Whoever the Salukis play, they will have plenty of time to prepare. Since the MVC tournament is a week earlier than most tournaments the Salukis will get some much needed time off. Bryan Mullins and co. will benefit from nearly two weeks of rest before their next game.
