With a record of 20-10 and a second-place finish in the Big Sky Conference, the Weber State basketball team felt it had an outside shot at an NCAA Tournament bid. At the very least, the Wildcats figured they would be included in the NIT's field of 32 teams.
It turned out even worse for Weber State, last year's NCAA Cinderella team that nearly made a trip to the Sweet 16.The Wildcats were snubbed by both tournaments as the two selection committees invited 96 other teams on Sunday to officially put an end to the Wildcats' 1995-96 basketball season.
The NIT snubbing was especially bitter for Weber State.
"When it comes to the NIT, it's all financial and political," said an upset WSU coach Ron Abegglen, whose team won 20-plus games for a school-record, fourth-straight season. "Nothing's fair, and no one said it would be."
Though WSU put together a very respectable season - especially considering that co-MVP Jimmy DeGraffenried was the only returning starter - history just wasn't on the 'Cats side.
The Big Sky has an automatic bid to the NCAAs but has never been able to land an at-large team in the tourney. Montana State earned the title and bid with an 81-70 victory over WSU in the Big Sky championship game on Saturday.
The conference hasn't attracted much attention from the NIT either, receiving invitations just two times in the '90s. Weber was invited earlier this season to participate in the Preseason NIT and won big at Fresno State before falling at Michigan.
"There's no rhyme or reason, we proved ourselves," said Abegglen, whose 'Cats beat two NIT invitees - Fresno and Colorado State - and own a better record than 21 of the selections. "These kids deserve better than this."
Something that made the shunning even more sour for the Wildcats was the way the NIT handled the situation.
The selection committee called Sunday night to ask if WSU would be willing to host a first-round game to which the Wildcats said they definitely would be interested in doing. The committee then called back about a half-hour later, after already building the 'Cats hopes, with the news that Weber State had not received an invitation.
"I'd like the NIT people to come and explain it to my players," said Abegglen, who was to meet with his team on Monday. "I don't want to do it. They're going to be heartbroken."