The 2024 National Invitational Tournament bracket is out and 32 teams will compete in the single-elimination tournament over the next few weeks.
As is the case every year, there were a handful of notable teams who opted to not participate in the NIT. Whether its disappointment over not making the NCAA Tournament or electing to use the next few weeks to get a head start on recruiting, these programs have decided to pull the plug on their 2023-24 campaigns. We’ll go over them below.
St John’s
St. John’s was a team that just missed the NCAA Tournament cut and head coach Rick Pitino informed the NIT on Sunday that his team wouldn’t participate. The Red Storm posted a 20-13 record throughout the regular season and simply took too many losses in Big East play.
The 71-year-old head coach has won multiple national championships in his career, so its not a surprise that he doesn’t want to spend his time in the NIT when he could get a head start on planning for next year.
Pitt
Pitt also missed the cut for the NCAA tourney and head coach Jeff Capel released a statement indicating that the team had come upon the decision to skip the NIT. Pitt finished the year with a 22-11 record and ultimately didn’t have a strong enough record in a weak ACC.
The Panthers could’ve possibly earned a trip to the Big Dance had they defeated UNC in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser declined an NIT invite on Sunday after his team was left out of the Big Dance. The Sooners had been on the NCAA Tournament bubble for a few weeks and didn’t help their own cause with a swift second-round exit in the Big 12 Tournament. OU ultimately ended up being one of the first four teams to miss the cut, marking the end of its season.
Memphis
Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway declined his team’s NIT bid immediately following its loss to Wichita State in the AAC Tournament. The Tigers were at one point ranked No. 10 in the AP poll this year before imploding, dropping seven games down the stretch of the regular season before its unceremonious exit from the conference tourney.
The vibes around Memphis were bad during its late-season swoon, so it’s probably for the best that Hardaway decided to pull the plug on the campaign.
Ole Miss
Following Ole Miss’ quick exit from the SEC Tournament, head coach Chris Beard declined his team’s involvement in the NIT, citing players dealing with personal matters off the court. The Rebels had a promising start in SEC play before completely crashing and burning down the stretch, losing eight of their last 10 games in the regular season.
Indiana
Indiana declined its NIT invite following its exit from the Big Ten Tournament, electing to get a jump on recruiting and the transfer portal. The Hoosiers were inconsistent down the stretch of conference play, following a four-game losing streak with a four-game win streak to close the regular season. It will be NCAA Tournament or bust for head coach Mike Woodson next season.