Knowing the Irish were in the NCAA Tournament until Davidson grabbed its spot by upsetting Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 championship game is, as Mike Brey said, another gut punch in a season of gut punches; and being the #1 seed in the NIT is cold comfort, but NIT it shall be. Notre Dame will face Hampton in Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday evening.
It’s easy to point at another team that made the NCAA field and make a case for its exclusion and ND’s inclusion especially given the injury losses Brey’s team had to overcome just to be considered.