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It might not be the NCAA TournamentBut the massive error of the governing body in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) has a livid team.
The southern Alabama in Southern Alabama was notified by the NCAA and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill, who serves as vice president of the NCAA tournament selection committee, which extended an offer to the NIT on Sunday night.
But just an hour after doing so, chief coach Richie Riley tells him Al.com that the invitation was terminated, breaking the hearts of his program.
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The chief coach of the Jaguares of southern Alabama, Richie Riley, observes during the first half against the Mississippi rebels in cm ‘tad’ Smith Coliseum. (Petre Thomas/Imagn images)
“It’s unfair to our players,” Riley explained. “We have a void team. They are a lot of helpless who fought with their butts. And now I have to tell them that they are not in the Nit. It is an absolute joke.”
For him NCAA Tournament Support, teams like West Virginia were horrified, they did not, but they were also in the bubble. Southern Alabama, receiving the invitation to start it, is a much worse pill to swallow.
Riley detailed the situation to Al.com, saying that Gill and the Senior Basketball Vice President of the NCAA, Dan Gavitt, called him at 9:30 pm on Sunday with the invitation because UC Riverside committed himself to the invitation of university basketball.
However, that commitment occurred before UC Riverside extended the invitation NIT. With UC Riverside wanting to enter, the NCAA rescinded the commitment of southern Alabama to return them to them.
Riley said he had already told his players that they would participate in the NIT.
The chief coach of the Jaguares of South Alabama, Richie Riley, speaks with striker Barry Dunning Jr. (22) and the guard John Broom (14) during the first half against the Mississippi rebels in cm ‘tad’ Smith Coliseum. (Petre Thomas-Imagn images)
“I said: ‘This is 100%, are we really?’ And they said: ‘Yes, congratulations.
“… I say: ‘I’m going to tell my boys’. They are like, ‘Go ahead’. Then, I tell the team. This is unacceptable.
The NIT issued a statement of apology to southern Alabama, saying that they understand the “emotional impact that this confusion was created.” However, Riley did not listen to any of that, calling the statement as a “meaningless apology” in x.
“What made us last night is inexcusable!” Riley’s publication continued. “These guys in our wardrobe do not deserve this and it is sad that your idea of doing it is an apology for copying and glue!”
The chief coach of southern Alabama, Richie Riley, observes his team playing against Alabama in Coleman Coliseum. (Gary Cosby Jr./usa Today Sports)
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The Jaguars owned a record of 21-11 in the season, which was tied with Troy, James Madison and Arkansas State for the regular season of the Sun Belt conference. They would continue to lose before the state of Arkansas in the semifinals of Sun Belt, 74-71.
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