That's great they're on the bubble for a tournament bid. A month ago they were ready to run Mick out of town and it looked like UC was going to get buried in the Big East. No one thought they'd be winning OT games like this And coming back from 10 pt deficits time and time again. I thought they were sunk when they fell behind 12 points well into the 2nd half. Whereas teams like ND and yesterday's opponent are falling, UC is improving. Kudos to UC and Mick for that.
I don't think their tournament ticket will be sealed until after the Big East Tournament. I think they'll need to do something there. Even if they fall short of the NCAA, they still can accomplish some things. Going over .500 in the toughest conference in basketball is something. The experience of competing in the NIT would help the program as well. The mental hurdle of thinking they can play in the Big East is huge.