Rutgers Fans Mock Michigan For Making NIT, Only To Lose As Top-Seed In NIT While Wolverines Advance

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Rutgers basketball was one of the 'First Four Out' of the NCAA Tournament. There was a legitimate case to be made for the Scarlet Knights to go dancing, but they fell just short.

It may have been the biggest surprise of Selection Sunday, and they fell just short again on Tuesday.

Aundre Hyatt #5, Clifford Omoruyi #11 and Caleb McConnell #22 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights react after losing to the Hofstra Pride 88-86 in overtime of a first round NIT tournament game at Jersey Mike's Arena on March 14, 2023 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Rutgers finished 19-14, and 10-10 in Big Ten play, but lost six of its last eight regular season games. Three of those six losses, and three of the Scarlet Knights' non-conference losses, were to teams that did not reach the NCAA Tournament.

Those losses proved costly, even though many/most people expected that Rutgers would get into the Field of 68 with a win over Michigan in the Big Ten tournament and a close loss to Purdue. That was not the case.

Among those who thought the Scarlet Knights would make March Madness was their fanbase. Those in Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament ruthlessly chanted 'N-I-T' at the Wolverines as their win confidently knocked Juwan Howard's team out of March Madness.

OOPS!

Not only did Rutgers also end up in the NIT, but its First Round matchup did not go so well. The Scarlet Knights, as the No. 1 overall seed, hosted the Hofstra Pride in New Brunswick/Piscataway.

They lost in overtime. Rutgers had a chance to tie the game with less than 10 seconds and missed.

Hofstra upset the top seed in the NIT in front of a sold-out crowd at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Meanwhile, over in Ann Arbor, No. 3-seed Michigan took down Toledo and advanced to the second round. The Wolverines held off an explosive Rockets offense and won by 10.

The entire sequence of events is rather awkward for Rutgers. Not only did their fans mock Michigan for making the NIT, only to play in the NIT themselves, the Scarlet Knights lost as the top seed while the Wolverines won as a lower seed. You hate to see it!