Houston went about as expected. I thought for a moment when ECU got the game close around 7-7 after starting slow that it might be one of those nights Minges could keep the team in it. It got loud, Sasser got hurt shortly after but it was all short lived. I honestly turned it off around 34-15 and got ready to go out on Saturday night so thats all I got this time.
ECU now sits at 14-14 #208 NET with at least 4 games left.
Let's talk about the 3rd tier basketball tournaments. I've seen the CBI mentioned several times in the last year as some sort of prize that ECU had earned under Dooley and lost. These certain people pushing this say ECU gave that bid away when Dooley was fired. The reality is basically anyone can play in the CBI. There isn't a minimum standard.
There are losing teams and teams with 250+ NET rankings that have played in it in recent years. Two seasons ago Longwood was 12-16 with a 258 NET ranking and Stetson was 11-14 with a 257 NET and played in it. Last year there were multiple teams with losing D1 records and 200+ rankings. West Virginia played in it in 2019 with a 14-20 (4-14) record. The point is anyone can essentially play in it if you got 50k dollars or whatever the entry fee is now. I think even an ECU team a game or two under .500 as an AAC team would still be welcomed to play in it....and they should IMO.
Now I'm not sure where ECU would stand on playing in it this season. It's expensive but it serves a purpose. The most notable is going for a winning record with winnable games and trying to build some momentum. For one there are many examples of teams that have played in these tournaments and used the experience the next season to get to the NIT or NCAA. Even Longwood that was mentioned came back and got to the NCAA the next season (but that was mostly on the back of transfers).
It can be good for teams and I think ECU's own experience with the CIT demonstrates that. It's really the only thing ECU has to look back on as positive in decades sadly. For a coach in his first year trying to build and develop players with in for the long haul it serves even more of a purpose. I would have supported DeMeo coaching in it last year as the interim , but there is a big difference in a coach in year one that's about .500 with a 200ish ranking playing in it and a coach in year 4. It's justified and useful this season where as it's just slapping lipstick on a pig in year 4.
I feel pretty sure ECU will have other chances to play in the CBI at some point in Schwartz tenure, the real question is now the right time to use that bullet. I think there are probably only a few of these ECU fans will accept playing in under each coach. ECU probably shouldn't play in this tournament every season because no one will care about it if 3 or 4 years from now if ECU is still playing in it for the 3rd straight time or the other Basketball Classic (successor to CIT, but allows MWC level teams). I think you probably need to maximize the experience both for your team and as a tool to help move the program forward.
I think ECU probably finishes 15-17 or 16-17 and a 208 NET. Is now the time you go for it and try to get that winning record and momentum for next season with a young team? I think it is, especially if Javon Small is close to getting back. I think you go ahead and try to play in the CBI early in the tenure and then hope to leave it behind and target better post season by years 3 and 4.
