The CBI has had teams with losing records and rankings in the 230+ range in their field in recent years. This really is based more than anything on teams that have shown a willingness to play (and pay to play) in this tier of tournaments in the past as they aren’t for everyone. It might make sense if they fit the profile and aren’t projected for an NIT. Other justifications include lack of recent success or perhaps their coach is in his early years to use it to build some momentum or extra practice.
None of this is a knock on the tournament as I personally believe these tournaments serve a purpose with 363 teams. There are certainly good deserving teams that compete in them. There have been teams with top 60 rankings in the past. There is a much lower percentage of postseason available for D1 basketball than some other sports like football for example. It’s good for coaches and teams to have something to play for in my opinion and a chance to end the season with a win and a few more games. There have been practical examples where teams have parlayed the experience into successful NIT or NCAA bids the next season as well.
If you don’t see your team, maybe they are projected here.
