NIT Banners Hang Forever

NIT Banners Hang Forever

Drew Thirion
3 years ago
1 min read
Xavier Musketeers guard Adam Kunkel (5) and Colby Jones hold the NIT trophy in Madison Square Garden after beating Texas A&M in the NIT Championship.

Shout out to all the haters, of which there are many because I’m going to soak in this NIT championship. Sometimes as a fan, you have to be honest with yourself. Xavier’s never been to a Final Four, and might not ever make one in my lifetime. Sean Miller got the Musketeers to the Elite Eight in his first go around, so never say never, but the odds of a team that has never signed a 5-star player winning a national title is quite slim.

I got to see Xavier make a little Elite Eight run under Chris Mack, and that was the highlight of my Xavier fandom. There are a bunch of little moments that I will always cherish, but the best I could honestly hope for is a Big East title.

So to all the haters saying that the NIT doesn’t matter, or it’s the “Not In Tournament”, you can’t bother me today. I had fun watching this team win the NIT and I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a Cleveland sports fan, I don’t get to watch my teams win championships. I’ll hold on to the Cavs' win in 2016 until I die. So let me just enjoy my NIT championship in peace. 

In college sports, there are only a few teams that have a chance to win a title. Unless Xavier has a Gonzaga-like program turn-around (they’ve also never won anything), they’ll never be one of those teams that has a real shot to win the whole thing. Winning any championship is very fun, and if you don’t think so, you have a big fat poop in your pants. 

To most people, winning the NIT means nothing, but maybe this is the start of a slight culture change here at Xavier. Unless players transfer, the Musketeers will only be losing Paul Scruggs and Nate Johnson. The talent is there, the recruits are coming, Sean Miller’s a big-time coach, and the Cintas Center will always be rocking for Xavier home games. I’m going to enjoy my favorite team ending their season with a win because most teams don’t get the chance to say that. Just remember, even if it’s the NIT, banners hang forever.

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