From Fitz: Best bet is for K-State to take bid to Vegas

There was once a day when I didn’t know there was such a thing as NIT bracketology: the study and projection of the teams not making the NCAA Tournament field and how they will be seeded in the National Invitation Tournament.

Yes, it’s real and it’s troubling. I mean, I found out this jarring truth because I was seeking information. I wanted to see after a slew of upsets in small conference tournaments if Kansas State would still make the NIT field with a 17-16 record.

My Internet search took me into a corner of the World Wide Web that I did not know existed. As in other Internet searches, some things cannot be unseen.

There are actually a couple of NIT bracket projections out there, but as far as I can tell — by this I mean it was at the top of my list of search results — the expert in the field is BracketMatrix.com. It not only provided me with the latest info on the possible NIT field, but also explained to me what Keanu Reeves is doing these days.

According to the site, K-State will be included in the NIT field when it’s announced Sunday night live on ESPN at 7:30 during its own bracket unveiling, which I also didn’t know existed. As far as I can tell, it's The Crying Game of bracket unveilings.

The site predicts No. 7 K-State at No. 2 Houston in the first round of one of the four eight-team regionals. Those first-round games will mostly be played this upcoming Wednesday.

In other words, K-State has been seeking postseason play and may get one road game that extends its season six days. If the Wildcats lost to the Cougars, a road defeat would offer the program no good, and, honestly, be embarrassing.

I’m here to make a passionate, logical and completely selfish argument for why the Kansas State basketball program, in its fourth year under Bruce Weber, should politely decline if offered an NIT road game in the first round. That is even more true if as a No. 7 seed they would never play a home game in the event, which ends with the promise of the final four teams playing in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

It’s not that playing NIT home games is a real treat for fans or the school. It’s actually a pain for an athletic department to organize game and arena staffs for NIT contests, which would start the week of K-State’s spring break. That is troublesome even if K-State gets a home game.

And, no, playing road games in the NIT doesn’t serve much purpose. This team wants to play. It wants to practice. It wants something fun to come out of a season that exceeds a Wednesday night in Houston, and maybe a couple more road trips before it can think about New York.

I propose that K-State just says no to the NIT, which is doubtful because the NCAA runs the event and will pay the school’s expenses. Still, paying the $50,000 entry fee to participate in the new Vegas 16 tournament is much wiser for this program.

The first argument for the new event at Mandalay Bay resort is that it doesn’t start until March 26. That means the team would get just shy of two weeks of added practice (and rest) leading up to the first games, which will be played on the Saturday and Sunday of the Elite Eight games of the NCAA Tournament. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will then take place the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (March 30) leading up the Final Four.

CBS Sports, which holds the broadcast rights to the NCAA Tournament and the Vegas 16, timed the event to be broadcast on the CBS Sports Channel for cross promotion purposes.

The second argument is that the concept of the Vegas 16 is “bowl destination” basketball. Just as K-State football spent a week in Memphis leading up to the Liberty Bowl with a 6-6 record, the K-State basketball team could visit Vegas for a few days after a 17-16 regular season. It’s a fun trip for those associated with the program, and fans who choose to go.

In addition, some might argue that K-State would face more palatable competition in Vegas. The NIT field is larger, but many schools from tiny conferences also populate it, and a loss to one of those programs offers a serious black eye.

Any school from a small conference that won its regular season title but not its conference’s tournament (and thus the bid to the NCAA tourney) automatically goes to the NIT. So far, Belmont, Bucknell, High Point, Hofstra, IPFW, Monmouth, North Florida, UAB, Valparaiso and Wagner have automatic bids to the NIT.

The Vegas 16, meanwhile, is focusing on programs that fit K-State’s profile: Major conference, known athletic program and an average season, as in .500 or better. Schools such as Stanford, Marquette, Memphis and Northwestern may end up in Vegas. Plus, regional schools such as Nevada and Grand Canyon may be invited, meaning there might actually be attendance in Vegas for games based on the destination.

If the Vegas 16 financially survives this first season, and it’s hoping to attract some schools away from the NIT, it could go on to thrive. After snuffing out the useless CIT postseason tournament and the pitiful CBI, it may begin to rival the NIT over the years.

But this is about what’s best for K-State basketball. After this ho-hum season for the Wildcats — one that apparently was more about building for the future than immediate success — getting a chance to extend practice, to play on a neutral court in a resort city, and be part of an event during which the team could actually win four games in five days, the Vegas 16 is a winning formula for Weber’s program.

Plus, it’s Vegas. And, yes, I would prefer that over anywhere the NIT may take me to cover these Wildcats. I mean, it’s no Houston on a Wednesday, but …