The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

NIT field coming into focus; UD, WSU on radar

Selection committee uses a more subjective approach, chair says.

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer 12:13 AM Thursday, March 11, 2010

C.M. Newton never relied heavily on data such as computer read-outs or a team’s record against Top 25 foes when he served on the NCAA selection committee. He depends even less on cold, hard facts now that he’s the chairman of the eight-man NIT selection panel.

His seven colleagues who will be picking schools for that 32-team tournament are more inclined to take a subjective approach to the process, too.

“All eight of us are former coaches. We’re all retired. We’ve got no dog in the hunt. The key thing we depend on is more a coaching gut feeling,” said Newton, who had a successful coaching career at Alabama before becoming Kentucky’s athletic director.

“When I was on the other committee, there were people who put a lot more into the RPI than I did. I put on my coaching hat and said, ‘Who wouldn’t you want to play?’ It may be style of play. It may be coaches. But you ask who wouldn’t you want to play — regardless of the computer ratings.”

The NIT committee members are assigned various leagues to monitor and have had about a half-dozen conference calls during the season, including one Wednesday. They’ll meet in Indianapolis this weekend and announce their field after the NCAA committee reveals its bracket Sunday.

The NIT selection show will air at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

The Atlantic 10 likely has seven postseason teams, and Newton believes as many as five could end up in the NCAA, leaving just two for his tournament.

“Temple, Xavier and Richmond are in for sure,” he said. “Rhode Island is a team that certainly should be considered, as is Dayton because of their strength of schedule — and Saint Louis because of where they ended up in the league. Charlotte’s loss (to UMass on Tuesday) hurt them.

“But the A-10 should have three to five teams in the (NCAA) field.”

Newton has been assigned to monitor the Horizon League, and Wright State’s solid season has gotten his attention.

“We’ve got Wright State certainly on our radar,” he said. “They didn’t play well (in the conference tourney final). I watched that game. But Butler played so well. Green Bay and Wright State, though, are on our radar.”