July 20, 2011

Preseason NIT Bracket

NEW YORK (NIT/SMU) - The SMU men's basketball team will participate in the 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, NIT selection committee chair C.M. Newton announced on Wednesday. The Mustangs are assigned to the West Regional and will play their first two games Nov. 14-16 in Stanford, Calif. SMU matches up with Colorado State in the first round. Fresno State faces Stanford in the other opening round contest. ESPN will provide coverage throughout the event, televising games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com. Games on ESPN and ESPN2 will be simulcast on ESPN3.com. This is SMU's third appearance in the Preseason NIT. The last was at the start of the 1998-99 season.

"We are excited to be part of the Preseason NIT," says SMU head coach Matt Doherty. "It is an indication that SMU is seen as a program on the rise. This is also an invaluable opportunity for our team. Last season, we made the postseason for the first time in more than a decade. Now, we will play in one of college basketball's most prestigious events."

SMU is coming off its most celebrated season in more than a decade. The Mustangs recorded their first 20-win season and first postseason bid in 11 years; finishing 20-15 and advancing to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) semifinals. SMU also had its most wins in Conference USA (8) while leading the league in field goal (7th NCAA), 3-point (13th NCAA) and free throw percentage (38th NCAA).

The first- and second-round doubleheaders will be played November 14-16 on the campuses of the four highest-seeded teams - Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State and Stanford. The winners of the preliminary rounds advance to the semifinals in New York City's Madison Square Garden November 23. The consolation and championship games will be played November 25.

The remaining teams will play third- and fourth-round doubleheaders November 21-22 on the campuses of the three highest remaining seeds. Participating teams will not play any team twice, and the third- and fourth-rounds will be assigned to the most geographically compatible site.

The sites and pairings are as follows:
• The North Regional will take place at Syracuse (Big East), where the Orange will host Manhattan (MAAC) and Albany (America East) squares off against Brown (Ivy).
• The East Regional will be held on the campus of Virginia Tech (ACC) and the Hokies will meet Monmouth (Northeast), with George Mason (Colonial) facing Florida International (Sun Belt).
• The Midwest Regional will be played at Oklahoma State (Big 12), with the Cowboys taking on Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC) and Oral Roberts (Summit) battling Texas-San Antonio (Southland).
• Stanford (Pac-12) is the host team in the West Regional and will play Fresno State (WAC) in one half of the doubleheader, while Colorado State (Mountain West) takes on SMU (Conference USA).

"Once again, the NIT Season Tip-Off field is outstanding," said Newton, a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame who is in his seventh year as chair of the NIT. "This year, we have two former champions with Syracuse (1988, 2001) and Oklahoma State (1991) along with teams that have experienced success in the postseason. There is also a good number of young clubs on the rise. This tournament has been an early showcase of the best in college basketball, and many times you see our teams competing deep in the NCAA Championships come March."

For updated coverage of the NIT, go to NIT.org.

About the NIT:
In August of 2005, the NIT, LLC, which is under the umbrella of the NCAA, assumed control of the postseason NIT and the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. The postseason NIT was founded in 1938 by a group of New York City sportswriters while the NIT Season Tip-Off, formerly known as the preseason NIT, started in 1985. An independent at-large committee chooses the filed for both events. Since the inception of the two Tournaments, tens of thousands of student-athletes and coaches have participated. Visit NIT.org for more details on Tournament history, selection committee and procedures.

About the NCAA:
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. Visit NCAA.org for more programs for student-athletes details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support.