By Chris Marler
Mike Krzyzewski had a famous quote when it came to “meaningless” tournaments and games.
“If there’s a trophy involved, I want to win it.”
That sounds simple and almost elementary in nature. The quote was from Coach K in reference to resting his best players for the ACC Tournament to get them healthy for the NCAA Tournament.
In a lot of ways Coach K is absolutely right with his mindset on winning. However, in some ways the quote is exactly the same as what a 2025 NIT Tournament trophy would mean to South Carolina or LSU – meaningless.
Both SEC programs made surprising decisions on Sunday evening when they announced their intention to not play in the NIT Tournament. The Tigers and Gamecocks were the only SEC teams to not make the NCAA Tournament. To be honest a bid to the NIT seemed like a bit of a reach for South Carolina.
BREAKING: LSU declines NIT invitation
STORY: https://t.co/9dsQiIPrQA pic.twitter.com/YJskuNWLe1
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) March 16, 2025
If there’s a chance to play extra basketball, why turn it down?
Sure, the NIT tournament gets mocked from fans of teams not in it. That’s the nature of fandom: trash talk and social media. However, there are a lot of positives that come with the NIT, as well. Teams get additional home games in the opening rounds, seniors get extra games in their jersey, and there’s a chance to win a trophy.
For some teams it’s a great catalyst for the following season. Look at Georgia and Mike White, for example. Last year, they were a No. 4 seed in the NIT with a young roster under a new head coach. They made a run to the Final Four in Indianapolis, which helped fuel their strong start this season and ultimately earned them a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
However, that story doesn’t happen for everyone. LSU, for instance, was also a No. 4 seed in last year’s NIT. They lost in round one to North Texas.
Last year, a total of 17 teams declined bids to the NIT, including two current SEC members, Ole Miss and Oklahoma. Of those 17 teams only six made the tournament this year, most notably St. John’s who had an incredible program resurgence and is a No. 2 seed in the tournament.
That’s not the case for every team. While LSU and South Carolina declining their invites may seem unusual, it was ultimately the right decision for both programs.
It’s hard to say if playing in an NIT tournament provides a clear benefit for a team, coach, or its players going into the next season. However, what is clear is that the three weeks of extra practice, prep, and scouting teams and opponents could be much better spent. What’s more valuable: winning a second-round NIT game against a mid-major, or dedicating weeks to recruiting, scouting, and evaluating talent in the transfer portal?
That’s where the decision and focus have to be for both programs. Gaining talent through the portal should be a primary focus. Sure, both South Carolina and LSU are bringing in talented recruiting classes that rank in the top 30 nationally. However, if there’s anything we learned from the SEC this year, it’s how important the transfer portal can be.
The Player of the Year Johni Broome? Transferred from Morehead State. Mark Sears from Alabama? Transfer from Ohio. Chaz Lanier from Tennessee, who finished second in scoring? Transfer from North Florida. The SEC Tournament MVP Walter Clayton Jr from Florida? Transferred from Iona.
Six of the ten players on the 2025 All-SEC first and second teams were transfers, while one of the remaining four was a freshman.
Diving into the portal and evaluating players is more important than ever. Unlike football, the ratio of staff members to portal players is significantly unbalanced. For instance, South Carolina’s football staff has 32 members on it. Their basketball staff has five. To be fair, they have two graduate assistants to help, but that still leaves just seven staff members to scout nearly 2,000 players in the portal nationwide.
In 2022, the NCAA reported that 1,649 basketball players from Division I and II entered the transfer portal. With numbers at an all-time high, player impact more crucial than ever, and patience for success growing shorter, it’s clear where the priority should be.
Now, the focus shifts to finding the right players who can help win a meaningful trophy next year—not just a participation one.
