Broncs' dream is over, but is the season?

BUFFALO - The Rider Broncs' hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament this year were dashed Monday night with a crushing 81-59 loss to Niagara in the MAAC championship game.

While the Broncs (19-11) may not be going to "The Big Dance," it is quite possible Rider will get at least one more game this season by being selected to play in the NIT (National Invitation Tournament). Although the NIT is laughed at by most who follow big-time college basketball, many -- especially those who follow mid-major programs like Rider -- feel it is a nice consolation prize for teams that have great seasons but stub their toes, so to speak, in a conference tournament game.

With 19 wins, a share of the regular-season MAAC title and a championship game appearance, the Broncs seem to have all the criteria necessary to get an NIT berth. However, the NIT cannot select its teams until the NCAA Tournament selection process is completed next Sunday evening, so Rider will not know if it will be going to the NIT until later that night.

Only twice in the past nine years has the Postseason NIT been played without a MAAC team participating (1999 and 2001). Rider was sent to the NIT in 1998 -- its first year in the league -- when it was the No. 2 seed and was ousted in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. That team only had 18 victories, so this year's squad has one more win and went deeper into the MAAC Tournament. Also, after Niagara and Rider, no team in the MAAC had more than 15 wins this season and, generally, that is not good enough to get an NIT invite.

So Rider should have one more game left in its season. Hopefully, if that chance arises, Jerry Johnson and company can shake off an awful performance in the MAAC title contest and try to get things rolling again for an NIT game. It would be nice to get that elusive 20th victory with an NIT win.