NEW YORK – A few added notes and thoughts now that Penn State has captured the 2018 NIT title. First of all, the individual awards:
Most Outstanding Player: Lamar Stevens, Penn State
All Tournament:
Justin Johnson (Western Kentucky)
Sedrick Barefield, Utah
Justin Bibbins, Utah
Tony Carr, Penn State
Stevens was a solid choice, leading all scorers with 28 points in the championship game. Carr showed his versatility with a “stat stuffer” final. The Penn State standout scored 15 points, handed out four assists, added nine rebounds against one turnover in 39 minutes of action.
Penn State coach Pat Chambers believes the first round win over Temple at home was a stern test that set the tone for Penn State’s run. “Temple coach Fran Dunphy is a Hall of Fame coach,” Chambers said. “They did a good job on Shep (Garner) and Tony (Carr). In fact Tony may have had his worst game since he’s been with us. Temple played really well. It was like an old Big Five game where no one gave you an inch. I thought winning that game was huge on so many levels.”
Following that 63-57 win over the Owls, Penn State went to South Bend and upset number one seed Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions then knocked off Marquette on the road to get to New York.
Speaking of the road, Chambers made the observation that the Big Ten, a perennial leader in attendance, toughens you up as playing in tough hostile 10,000-plus attended venues is the norm. Chambers went on to note. “It’s shame the Big Ten did not get much respect on Selection Sunday. Playing at places like Michigan and Purdue is brutal.”
For Chambers and his group, it all worked out quite well.
Do not mention “consolation prize” to Larry Krystkowiak. The Utah coach competed throughout hoping to bring home a title. To Krystkowiak, the NIT experience was special and one he will remember and cherish for a lifetime.
“I’ve always been on the outside,” Krystkowiak said. “Never been to a Final Four of the NIT. I’ve talked to coaches that were here (about the experience). I talked to one coach, won’t mention his name, he’s actually gone to the NCAA Final Four. He also went to the NIT one year and won it. Of all the experiences he said, the NIT, was the best experience.”
Despite falling in the final, the NIT trip was one for Krystkowiak and Utah to remember. “(Critics) have no idea how cool this was for us,” the coach said. “Nobody is going to take it (the achievement) away and it was an absolute highlight, especially being with this group.”
Social media. A mention on Facebook about covering my 42nd consecutive NIT brought questions from respected coach Herb Welling. Over those four-plus decades, which team and player stood out as the best. The player was easy: Larry Bird. In the 1978 NIT, I covered the Final Four of the tournament in the Garden and two early round games at Rutgers. In the second round, Bird’s Indiana State team was denied a trip to MSG, losing a tough one to Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights lost to eventual champion Texas in the next round at the Garden.
Team-wise is a tougher consideration. One thought is Bradley in 1982. Coach Dick Versace was so sure his team would get in the NCAA Tournament, he had a reception on Selection Sunday. The Braves were empty after the brackets were filled. Instead of lamenting what could have been, Bradley used the NIT as incentive. The Braves served notice with a convincing 14-point win over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. In New York they defeated Oklahoma and Purdue to capture the title. Bradley was led by JJ Anderson, who played a few years in the NBA before heading off to a longer career in Europe.
A case could also be made for Tulsa. In 1981, Tulsa defeated Syracuse in an overtime thriller. Nolan Richardson’s standouts included MVP Greg Stewart and Paul Pressey, who went on to be known as a defensive specialist during his NBA days. Syracuse was led by Tony “Red” Bruin and Danny Schayes, the latter putting together a nice NBA career of his own.
This was the only time a Big East Champion appeared in the NIT. The Big East still did not have the automatic bid at the time, being in their second year of existence. In the conference tournament, Syracuse defeated Villanova in the Championship at the Carrier Dome in triple overtime . That game left Syracuse at 18-11 overall and the committee overlooked Jim Boeheim’s group, who gladly accepted an NIT invite.
On a personal note, social media again brought this item from Tom Harrison. During my St. Bonaventure student manager days, Harrison was a teammate, and my senior year roommate on the road. A retired educator, Harrison wonders if he is the answer to a trivia question having roomed with two NIT MVPs. He roomed with 1977 MVP Greg Sanders at Bonaventure. During his high school days he played, and was scouted by Bonaventure assistant Bob Sassone, in the Hoyle post season tournament in Pennsylvania. At the Hoyle, Harrison roomed with Mike Sojourner, who was the 1974 MVP playing for Utah who lost to Purdue in the championship. Harrison played for the Bonnies from 1973 through 1976 just missing out on the school’s NIT title a year later. In good natured fashion he noted, “I never played in an NIT, yet I roomed with two MVPs.”
The championship game drew 11,175. Among those taking in the action, among a sizeable Penn State turnout, was Nittany Lion football coach James Franklin. Thrilled for the school’s title, Franklin noted, “we as coaches are all in this together.”
In preparation, and a short prep indeed, Chambers watched film of Utah. He was especially impressed with their overtime win at Saint Mary’s, an extremely difficult place to play. In Utah’s offensive sets and tendencies, Chambers saw a lot of familiarity. ‘They (Utah) reminded me of Northwestern, a bit of Michigan, a little bit of Wisconsin, a team that takes care of the ball.”
Chambers hoped to limit Utah threes and second shots. The Penn State mentor felt the mission was accomplished. Utah hit 10 of 24 (42 percent) from three, with a number coming when the Utes were trying to get back from a double-digit deficit. Off the offensive glass both teams were even with eight rebounds.
He has his own team to prepare but among the congratulatory tweets Chambers received was one from his former head coach, Jay Wright.
A full blooded Philly guy, Chambers loves the Garden, and wants to get back, where his Nittany Lions have now won five of six over the last two years.
