Now that Daily Sports has finished a three-part series on the NIT teams of Northwestern men’s basketball’s past, it’s time to face reality.
The fact that we have to celebrate our three appearances in the good-but-not-good-enough tournament is a little sad.
Here at NU, we compare ourselves to two types of institutions: Big Ten schools and academically intense schools. And both make us look bad on the court.
Michigan and Indiana have storied histories that include national championships. Princeton, Duke and many other elite schools have at least one appearance in the Big Dance.
Don’t get me wrong. I will always remember the electric atmosphere of the 1994 NIT games. And the magic of the 1999 season remains one of my best college memories.
But it’s all child’s play compared to the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully one day at NU, we’ll have a real tournament team to remember.
