It would be easy for Morgan State to give an unispired effort tonight at Virginia Tech in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.
But Coach Todd Bozeman won?t let his players hang their heads after falling to Coppin State on a last-second shot in the final of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday.
Whether it?s an NCAA Tournament berth which the conference tournament champion is awarded, or an NIT bid, which Morgan State (22-10) earned for winning the regular season title, Bozeman said the Bears still have goals to accomplish.
“Just the fact that so many are seniors and they get to play in the postseasonand they are in the record books at Morgan State makes it special,” Bozeman said. “They have a lot to be proud of and continue to play for, and we are definitely looking for them to continue.”
The team?s seniors ? guard Jerell Green, MEAC Player of the Year Jamar Smith, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Boubacar Coly and Karanvir Aujla ? have taken the Bears to a place they haven?t been in 25 years as a Division I program: the postseason.
Morgan State had never won a regular season title at any level, and its only previous MEAC crown came in 1977 when it won the conference tournament en route to the Division II Final Four.
But it could have been the Big Dance, not the second-tier NIT.
Leading local rival Coppin State (16-20) by two at intermission, the Bears regressed in the second half. When sophomore guard Reggie Holmes? 3-pointer missed its mark as time expired, some of the luster appeared to come off their accomplishments in a 62-60 loss.
But Monday afternoon at the team?s first practice since its demoralizing loss, Bozeman ended any apathetic attitudes.
“Everyone wants to get to the NCAA Tournament, but the fact remains the NIT is still an option and they should feel excited and honored,” he said. “It?s still a reward for wining the regular season. Initially, they were still kind of stinging from the other night, but once we got going, they were fine. I explained to them there are only 90 other teams playing and they should feel fortunate to be one.”
Virginia Tech can relate.
The Hokies (19-13) thought they had done enough to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament?s field of 65 for the second straight year following a 68-66 loss to top-ranked North Carolina (32-2) in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last week. The tournament?s selection committee, however, felt differently. Each team entered last week with visions of playing this weekend on CBS and ultimately making the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. Instead, they are playing in the field of 32 for a shot to go to the NIT?s Final Four next month in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
For Morgan State and Virginia Tech, the road to the Big Apple begins tonight at 7 at Cassell Coliseum in front of a national television audience on ESPN Classic.
And according to the top-seeded Hokies and eighth-seeded Bears, that?s just fine with them.
“We?re still going to be playing postseason ball,” Virginia Tech senior forward Deron Washington told reporters after the loss to North Carolina. “I?m just looking forward to continuing my season.”
