It may not be the NCAA tournament, but the controlling organ’s massive bomber in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) has a team of life.
South Alabama was notified by NCAA and Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill, who serves as Vice -President of the NCAA Tour selection Committee that they were expanded a bid for NIT late Sunday night.
But just an hour after doing so, head coach Richie Riley Al.com tells us that the invitation was lifted, which broke the heart of his program.
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South Alabama Jaguar’s head coach Richie Riley looks during the first half against the Mississippi rebels on CM ‘TAD’ SMITH COLISEM. (Petre Thomas/Imag images)
“It’s just unfair to our players,” Riley explained. “We have a team of zero zero. They are a bunch of under dogs who fought for their donkeys. And now I have to tell them they are not in nit. It’s just an absolute joke.”
For the NCAA tournament bracket, teams like West Virginia were horrified that they did not get into, but they were also on the bubble. South Alabama, who gets the invitation just to get it torn away, is a much worse pill to swallow.
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Riley detailed the situation to Al.com and said that Gill and NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt called him at. 21.30 on Sunday with the invitation because UC Riverside instead obliged to College Basketball Invitational.
However, this commitment came before the UC Riverside was expanded the NIT invitation. When UC Riverside was missing, NCAA South Alabama’s bid to get it back to them.
Riley said he had already told his players that they would attend Nit.
South Alabama Jaguar’s head coach Richie Riley talks to the forward Barry Dunning Jr. (22) and guard John Broom (14) during the first half against the Mississippi rebels on cm ‘Tad’ Smith Coliseum. (Petre Thomas-Preferred Pictures)
“I said, ‘This is 100%, we’re in the right one?’ And they said, ‘Yes, congratulations.
“… I say them, ‘I’ll tell my guys.’ They are like ‘go ahead.’ So I tell the team.
Nit released an apology statement to South Alabama and said they understand the “emotional influence this confusion created.” Riley, however, did not hear any of it, but called the statement a “meaningless apology” on X.
“What they did to us last night is unforgivable!” Riley’s X Post continued. “These guys in our changing rooms do not deserve this, and it is sad that your idea of making it right is a copy and insert apology!”
South Alabama -Head coach Richie Riley sees his team playing against Alabama at Coleman Coliseum. (Gary Cosby Jr./usa Today Sports)
Jaguars owned a 21-11 record of the season, which was tied with Troy, James Madison and Arkansas State for the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship. They would continue to lose to Arkansa’s State in Sun Belt SemiFinals, 74-71.
