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An invitation to the NIT wasn’t good enough for the University of North Carolina men’s basketball team, and one former NCAA coach believes the Tar Heels should be held accountable.
College Basketball Hall of Famer Tom Penders said UNC should be fined for declining an invitation to the NIT and urged the NCAA basketball committee to “remember this slap in the face,” according to a tweet posted to Penders’ Twitter account Sunday night.
“ARROGANCE!” Penders wrote. “UNC should get fined big bucks! The NCAA basketball committee should remember this slap in the face. The NIT started before the NCAA tournament.”
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In a follow-up Tweet, Penders slammed Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis, saying the team “rarely played hard and together” and that “Coach Davis has to step up and take the blame” for UNC missing out on the NCAA tournament.
“The Tar Heels rarely played hard and together,” Penders wrote. “That’s on the coaching staff! They’re not helping themselves by turning down an NIT bid. That, in itself tells me that the players were running this team.
“Coach Davis has to step up and take the blame. Show people that he’s in charge.”
Penders posted a career head-coaching record of 649-437 across stops that included Houston, Rhode Island, Texas and George Washington. among others. He was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1987.
UNC (20-13) became the first team to miss the NCAA tournament after being named the No. 1 team in preseason rankings since the field expanded in 1985.
In a statement released by the school, Davis explained UNC’s postseason philosophy but did not specifically address the decision to skip the NIT after being denied an NCAA tournament bid.
“All season, our focus and goal have been on being the best team we can possibly become and reaching our full potential to give us another opportunity to compete, play for and win an NCAA championship,” Davis said in the statement. “Although we no longer have that opportunity and this season wasn’t what we had hoped for, I want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and love for Carolina Basketball.
“Many factors go into postseason play, and we believe now is the time to focus on moving ahead, preparing for next season and the opportunity to again compete for ACC and NCAA championships.”
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