Louisville to play in NIT after all
LOUISVILLE – Louisville basketball players initially voted against playing in the NIT but were persuaded to accept an invitation when faced with the alternative of forfeiting in the tournament.
Multiple sources who have knowledge of the players’ wishes but were not authorized to speak publicly about them told The Courier-Journal that before the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament the players voted against playing in the NIT and then held a playersonly meeting on Sunday night after they were left out of the NCAA tournament.
Since the school had already filed its acceptance paperwork with the NIT, interim Louisville athletics director Vince Tyra said Monday that he had to explain to the players that they couldn’t withdraw from the tournament. They’d have to forfeit or play.
“When you’re emotional, you’re still sad about all the NCAA tournament stuff, and you make assumptions — you make decisions — that you don’t know what the conse- quences are,” senior Anas Mahmoud said. “But when we went to sleep and we woke up (Monday) morning and we met again as a team, we started thinking more broadly of the consequences of our actions and that it’s not just going to affect us right now — it’s going to affect the whole city and the whole program. We realized playing and participating and actually putting in the effort to do what we came here to do was the best decision.”
Louisville’s players are emotionally exhausted from a tumultuous six months that culminated with not being included in the NCAA bracket. The Cardinals instead will play at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday against Northern Kentucky at the KFC Yum Center.
Interim coach David Padgett said Monday that he expects to have his full roster available, barring injuries. Asked if he knew of the players’ vote, Padgett said reporters would have to ask the players.
“Even if you think that you’re not going to make the tournament, until you know for sure, it’s still a sting,” Padgett said. “There was some heavy, long, sad faces (Sunday). That initial shock is hard to explain.”