Ex-college basketball coach Tom Crean scolds teams for skipping NIT

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Usually, teams who miss out on making the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will take part in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) to get some postseason experience under their belt.

St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Ole Miss, Indiana and Oklahoma decided not to participate in the NIT after missing out on the field of 68 for the Big Dance.

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Tom Crean of the Indiana Hoosiers is seen during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Assembly Hall on Feb. 12, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Tom Crean, who coached at Marquette, Indiana and Georgia, appeared on ESPN and scolded teams for choosing to start their offseason early instead of participating in the NIT.

"There’s no question about it – I would want to coach. I would want to develop my team. You’ve got bigger staffs than you’ve ever had. There’s plenty of time for the portal, there’s plenty of time to talk to recruits, there’s plenty of time to negotiate NIL deals," Crean said.

"There’s not plenty of time to play, there’s not plenty of time of time to get your players on the floor and give them a chance to get better. There’s not plenty of time for guys to continue to play that may never get to play again."

Georgia Bulldogs guard Aaron Cook, #10, and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Tom Crean watch a shot in the air during a game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Georgia Bulldogs, Jan. 29, 2022, at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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