Ha - the last 2 couldn’t get over fast enough. The results obviously weren’t good, but I really like this team and I’m happy to tune in (or maybe travel) and root for them. Most teams that started the way they did quit, these guys never did. So I won’t.
Basketball Rutgers Basketball to participate in 2026 College Basketball Crown
- Thread starter Richie O
- Start date
Ha - the last 2 couldn’t get over fast enough. The results obviously weren’t good, but I really like this team and I’m happy to tune in (or maybe travel) and root for them. Most teams that started the way they did quit, these guys never did. So I won’t.
but why would that happen if this is a meaningless tourney that no one will pay attention to?
Yeah I don’t see why anyone is upset.
This. Them boys want to keep playing. Let em play! We don’t have a single player on the roster who has had an opportunity to play in a post season tournament before. There is nothing embarrassing about a roster like this one choosing to keep playing after going 5-4 in the final month of the schedule on a full BIG slate. Nothing wrong with it after starting 9-15.
Washington reportedly wanted to play?
The fact that these guys want to keep playing together is a great sign and bodes well for culture and retention. In 23-24, it felt like those guys couldn’t wait to never see each other again. 24-25 was a bunch of rentals who knew it was a one year fling.
its meaningless but gms will be watching
downside is it’s a distraction and use of resources and attention from transfer portal and rebuilding this team. We won’t learn anything new about the players.
It’s the season that never ends just like this winter. 
Team sucks but they seem tight !
Hopefully it’s a sign many intend to return !
It certainly helped Nebraska last year !
Team sucks but they seem tight !
Hopefully it’s a sign many intend to return !
It certainly helped Nebraska last year !
well according to the rules posted before, the top 2 schools with the best net from big east, big 12, and big 10 are the first schools invited. Perhaps when they reduced the schools from 16 to 8 they tossed those rules out the window
they only get money if they make the semis and they are only are making 20-30K each if they win the whole thing, losing in the semis would be 5K each
Love it! When it comes to Rutgers basketball, I always want...
In the end whatever happens in Vegas is not going to matter. If the players on the team want to do it, I say let them have at it. Thinking about it, it would be kinda cool to play West Virginia again after all these years
Yeah I wonder. I’m kind of curious as I thought it was supposed to be based on NET but maybe there are caveat’s about available players re injuries, opt outs, etc. Look - I get where your coming from on losing record and all but at least RU bounced back to win more games than it lost in its last month (3 wins away from home) after starting 9-15 compared to a team like Washington that started 12-10 but crashed and burned down the stretch 4-7.
It’s interesting that schools like Oklahoma and Stanford turned down the NIT for the Crown. Those had to be the two at large teams without the tie in.
good listen here...he starts by touching on Indiana but also addresses the issues with entering these tourneys depending on the situation, some with fired coaches, some with depleted teams and then raises the idea that maybe its better for the schools to be preparing for the portal which opens in just days
Love The Kinks! Great choice! This song didn't receive half as much airplay as it deserved when it was released in 1984. Among their best, IMHO.
Do we really want this team to play well and win this? And then Pike and staff are blinded thinking they are good enough and just will be better next year? That’s his MO, player development and team will get better. if this roster comes back next year with just a couple small additions we’re in for another 6-14 Big Ten Season.
This could be a legit point … IF focusing on this tourney does indeed take necessary time and attention away from the portal. In theory it certainly could - and if so - yeah, that’s certainly a negative
other than that my attitude - if the “kids” want to play why the hell do we care ?
Every school’s situation is different. For a roster full of one year suitcase seniors and NBA hopefuls - it makes no sense whatsoever. In Rutgers case - everyone on our roster will play for an NCAA team next year and not one of our players has ever had an opportunity to play in a post season tournament. Not all, but at least 4-5 or so guys on the team will probably end up staying at Rutgers and there will be a couple guys that Pike will show to the door but will wish well to new mid major homes and I’m sure he’d like nothing more than for those guys to show out a little in Vegas and boost their stock.
Vegas is a fun venue and some decent brand names in the Crown field. I look at it as we earned our spot by the way the team played down the stretch. No problem with them accepting this bid at all.
It won’t. The Pike presser addresses this. He said - phones are available everywhere. He’ll be portal focused
UW men don't receive invitation for postseason tournaments
The Washington men’s basketball team won't play in the postseason as it did not receive an invitation to play in the College Basketball Crown.www.seattletimes.com
According to this article, Washington didn’t get an invite. Not sure if it’s accurate.
Those pesky facts getting in the way of a crappy narrative. Love it. Thank you for posting.
And I don’t think our GM will be traveling - now that we finally have one!
Saw the Kinks at the Barn on College Ave in my junior year, March 1979. Great show.
In the middle of the concert, when Ray Davies picked up his acoustic guitar, I knew he was about to play the opening chords to Lola, and when he did, the crowd went nuts.
As for the team playing in the Crown tournament, I was glad to hear it. I guess you could say it struck a chord with me.
Those rules are still in effect but many teams declined the invite.
It’s weird. Multiple articles reported that Washington was vocally hoping for an invitation. Perhaps they were supposed to use the NET as a guideline but there were some exceptions. Not sure. Doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on it but if it was really true that teams like Oregon, PSU, etc. declined bids there would probably be articles stating as much.
3 out of 4 teams that went to the Crown semi final are in the March Madness tournament this year. Apparently wasn’t much of a distraction for them.
More like 15% but it doesn’t matter. That money will be paid out to this years team.
They get paid a small amount fire participating and more if they win games.
Sadly it’s also a chance for players to showcase their skills if they are thinking about leaving. This is still a big difference from last year’s team that didn’t want to play anymore once they didn’t make the NCAAs.
If you’re only bringing 4-5 guys back there’s no cohesion to be had by playing in this
it was different pre portal and was the reason the NIT was a competitive field was because teams were trying to build momentum positive vibes and cohesion for who was coming back
Nebraska didn’t make March madness this year because they won this last year. They turned over half that roster. They made it because they crushed the portal and maximized their resources to fit what their coach wanted to do
it’s time spent away from evaluating a 100x more important offseason and season ahead next year
that being said if the whole roster voted to play hard to fight against it… I may see things differently if everyone we want to retain stays and doesn’t use this as one more chance to put some game tape out there for the portal
it was different pre portal and was the reason the NIT was a competitive field was because teams were trying to build momentum positive vibes and cohesion for who was coming back
Nebraska didn’t make March madness this year because they won this last year. They turned over half that roster. They made it because they crushed the portal and maximized their resources to fit what their coach wanted to do
it’s time spent away from evaluating a 100x more important offseason and season ahead next year
that being said if the whole roster voted to play hard to fight against it… I may see things differently if everyone we want to retain stays and doesn’t use this as one more chance to put some game tape out there for the portal
It works both ways. Pike now has two weeks to present film on his team that offers a vision to advertise of the role that active recruits on his radar could play in our build.
They don't need to put more tape out. Schools have lists of kids they want and are already back channel communicating with their reps.
Yes they do but until the portal is open nobody is completely “sold” on anything yet. Nothing is official.
Participating in this event is extremely low risk for us, and potentially moderate reward. It’s not like it’s the NIT and we’re risking getting embarrassed by Hofstra on our own floor. If we lose to a Big East school in round one, so be it. There are some guys who have been dealing with injuries / illness etc. so seeing them perform after a couple weeks to get healthy could be helpful to Pike in rounding out decisions also.
Also - it might be a meaningless tournament but there’d still be a pretty nice narrative to sell if we were to win a couple games. After really bad start - look how our young team finished. Already won 3 games away from home our last month and could add to that.
Last year’s field which was 16 teams instead of 8 this year had 3 of the final 4, Nebraska ,Central Florida and Villanova make the NCAA this year .Winner split $300,000 , Runner up $100,000 and semifinals got .$50,000
last year there were dudes playing in this that had already said they were 100% transferring but played with the team anyway