The chances of NIU being in the Final Four are slim to none. We would have to win th MAC tournament. Potentially losing your best 2-3 players every year makes for a tough road. Add to that NIU is not considered a MAC Basketball power, makes you wonder.
Not much chance, especially under the new rules of engagement. Destined to permanently suck.
(03-18-2024 10:42 AM)Klake1987 Wrote: [ -> ]The chances of NIU being in the Final Four are slim to none. We would have to win th MAC tournament. Potentially losing your best 2-3 players every year makes for a tough road. Add to that NIU is not considered a MAC Basketball power, makes you wonder.
With the state of things, having a winning record is our Super Bowl.
I tuned out on basketball this year. I will see how football goes next year. Helps when Huskies go to a bowl. I am in the very small minority that has 0 interest in watching P5 football unless NIU is playing. Same goes for basketball. With MBB having nearly 0 chance of being decent why bother. My life is too busy to watch college sports games with schools I have no connection with.
(03-18-2024 10:42 AM)Klake1987 Wrote: [ -> ]The chances of NIU being in the Final Four are slim to none. We would have to win th MAC tournament. Potentially losing your best 2-3 players every year makes for a tough road. Add to that NIU is not considered a MAC Basketball power, makes you wonder.
You went from making the Big Dance to the Final Four.
Yes, we can make the Big Dance but Final Four is no chance.
(03-18-2024 12:32 PM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote: [ -> ] (03-18-2024 10:42 AM)Klake1987 Wrote: [ -> ]The chances of NIU being in the Final Four are slim to none. We would have to win th MAC tournament. Potentially losing your best 2-3 players every year makes for a tough road. Add to that NIU is not considered a MAC Basketball power, makes you wonder.
You went from making the Big Dance to the Final Four.
Yes, we can make the Big Dance but Final Four is no chance.
Just the NCAA tournament. With U Mass, Akron and others, we will always be in bottom of the MAC.
(03-18-2024 12:43 PM)Klake1987 Wrote: [ -> ] (03-18-2024 12:32 PM)ChicagoHuskie Wrote: [ -> ] (03-18-2024 10:42 AM)Klake1987 Wrote: [ -> ]The chances of NIU being in the Final Four are slim to none. We would have to win th MAC tournament. Potentially losing your best 2-3 players every year makes for a tough road. Add to that NIU is not considered a MAC Basketball power, makes you wonder.
You went from making the Big Dance to the Final Four.
Yes, we can make the Big Dance but Final Four is no chance.
Just the NCAA tournament. [b]With U Mass, Akron and others, we will always be in bottom of the MAC.[/b]
I think if you hire the right coach, there will be a chance. Both those schools have experienced guys who coached at the big schools and were successful. I wouldn't mind moving on from Burno after next season and going after a Bryan Mullins or Tom Crean, if someone like that is available then.
Not in the near future. Not until NIU gets a new coach who can recruit and coach, and an Athletic Director who takes NIU sports seriously and does not have his paycheck as his top priority.
(03-18-2024 02:33 PM)Dog Fan Wrote: [ -> ]Not in the near future. Not until NIU gets a new coach who can recruit and coach, and an Athletic Director who takes NIU sports seriously and does not have his paycheck as his top priority.
And hotdogs amirite?
I thought we had a shot to win the MAC this year when we were 5-1 with a road W against Depaul.
Will we make the dance with Burno? No.
Will we make a final four? Probably never.
(03-19-2024 06:37 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote: [ -> ]I thought we had a shot to win the MAC this year when we were 5-1 with a road W against Depaul.
Me too brotha. Me too.
The MAC isn’t a multi-bid conference. So we’d have to win the MAC tournament to get in. Never getting an at-large. NIU has been a cellar dweller in the MAC for decades (?), so the chance of winning the MAC tournament are extremely remote. NIU does not support basketball and probably never will. We’re a football school and should focus on that. You really can’t have both.
Maybe some day, if we’re lucky, we might make the first four.
It’s amazing how irrelevant our hoops program is.
No. We keep looking like we’re about to take off as a program then we remember we are NIU and stop winning.
Never (or ever...same difference) is a long time. And I'm sure 2 years ago, fans of Indiana State would have said the same thing and...well....okay...I suppose they're still thinking it.
But still, things change and guys get injured. Assuming UMass is just going to waltz into the tournament every year is unrealistic. They should be one of the favorites but sh!t happens especially with the auto-bid coming from a single elimination tournament that almost saw Kent State, Brown and Temple qualify.
Catch fire and a few breaks for 3 days and you're in.
Will NIU get to the big dance in our lifetime should be the question. Sure would be exciting if they somehow did!
Yes. Any team can get lucky and win 3 or 4 games in a week to win their conference tournament.
(03-20-2024 09:45 AM)NIUtrav09 Wrote: [ -> ]Yes. Any team can get lucky and win 3 or 4 games in a week to win their conference tournament.
Unfortunately, our problem is that we can’t even get into the tournament.