Arkansas says it won't accept bid to NIT

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Posted 5:38PM on Friday, March 11, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) Arkansas basketball coach Stan Heath said Friday his team was ``emotionally and physically exhausted'' and would not accept an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament. The Razorbacks, 18-12, were knocked out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday night, losing to Tennessee 65-46 in one of Arkansas' worst games of the year. Heath, in his third year at Arkansas since taking over from the fired Nolan Richardson, said at a university news conference that his goal was to have Arkansas back in the NCAA by this season. He said he expects to have Arkansas in the tournament next year. The Razorbacks, which won a national championship in 1994 and was national runnerup in 1995, hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1999, when it beat Siena before a second-round loss to Iowa. They haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2001, when Richardson's last tournament team lost to Georgetown in the opening round. Heath said that, looking into his players' eyes, he could see that a late-season slump had drained them. Arkansas opened 13-1, but lost 11 of its next 16 games. Its only victory since Feb. 12 was a 70-68 victory at home over Tennessee. He said none of his players had discussed quitting, but said he saw several things he didn't like. In particular, he said, close losses in one game carried over to another. Heath said athletic director Frank Broyles had already called NIT officials to say Arkansas didn't want to participate. Thursday, players had voted in the locker room to take an NIT bid if one was extended. Heath said he met with the players Friday and they agreed to decline a bid. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)