Seton Hall will take on Georgia in one NIT semifinal next week, while Utah will battle plucky Indiana State in the other.

The NIT Final Four, baby!

But you already knew that, right? You didn’t? Do you know if the words final four should be capitalized when discussing the NIT’s version of it? Me neither.

Anyway, the Pitt Panthers were roundly criticized for their decision to decline a bid to the NIT shortly after their hopes of getting one to the more celebrated NCAA Tournament–you know, the one where teams play for the recognized national championship of men’s college basketball?–were dashed on Selection Sunday.

Why did Pitt decline a bid to the NIT?

The players were likely very disappointed in not getting a ticket to the real dance. After all, the Panthers had won 12 of their final 16 games to finish with a 22-11 record. They were arguably playing some of the best basketball in the country at the time of Selection Sunday. They were certainly one of the better teams in an ACC conference that received just five bids to the field of 68.

There was also the matter of the transfer portal and it opening back up right when NIT action was set to tip-off. Why risk injury in a meaningless 32-team tournament if your desire is to play college basketball elsewhere next season? We now see this all the time in college football, don’t we? If a player knows he’s heading to the NFL Draft–or is at least considering it–he opts out of a bowl game when a national title isn’t on the line.

Yeah, but what about the kids who wanted to stick around the following season? A postseason tournament, especially one where you advance many rounds–or even win the whole thing–could prove to be a valuable experience and a great confidence booster for a team and its future basketball aspirations. Again, I suppose the transfer portal was a factor. The coaches needed to hit the recruiting trail immediately, and maybe they didn’t want to be distracted by a pesky tournament that really didn’t matter in the end.

But, man, it sure would have been nice to watch the Panthers play more basketball. They were a fun team in 2023/2024, led by senior forward Blake Hinson, one of the best three-point shooters in school history. And what about those two freshmen guards, Jaland Lowe and Carlton “Bub” Carrington? While Hinson was moving on, a lengthy run through the NIT could have been a nice preview of what the basketball team would look like next season, with two talented youngsters leading the way.

Also, the NIT was comprised of a lot of talented teams, many of whom, like Pitt, got snubbed by the NCAA Tournament.

Finally, Pitt could have provided its fans and alumni with some exciting postseason moments at Petersen Events Center. The Oakland Zoo would have been rocking.

Then again, the Panthers’ detractors would have been mocking.

That’s where the “no” part of the no-win situation comes into play.

Pitt would have been mocked by its critics and probably even its supporters if it lost to a perceived lesser team in the first round or at any point in the NIT.

“See? You didn’t deserve a bid to the NCAA!”

“Go cry!”

“Eat Bleep Pitt!” (That would have been from West Virginia fans, of course.)

What if the Panthers won the whole thing? They would have celebrated. Their fans and alumni would have celebrated. But, again, their critics, and maybe even some of their supporters, would have mocked an NIT championship.

I can just see the Tweets now, complete with laughing emojis. I can hear the radio segments, “Is this what this program has been reduced to, Paul? Celebrating meaningless postseason tournaments? Give me a break.”

If it were me, I would have played in the NIT, but it wasn’t me, and I can certainly understand why the Panthers didn’t.

No matter what decision they made in the end, someone was going to find fault with it.