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NEW YORK - Tulsa is one of 16 teams that will be playing in this year's preseason National Invitation Tournament (NIT) as announced by John J. Powers, Executive Director of the preseason and post season NIT.
We are very proud of the long tradition of the high quality teams we have showcased in the preseason NIT for the last twenty years. The preseason NIT started out strong and it remains a quality tournament that continually attracts the top teams in the nation, commented Powers, now in his 15th year as the NIT Executive Director.
The Tournament, which was inaugurated in 1985, kicks off on campus sites throughout the nation with first round action November 15th and 16th. The second round follows up on November 17th, 18th and 19th with the semi-final and championship doubleheaders coming to New Yorks Madison Square Garden on November 24th and 26th. Once again, ESPN and ESPN2 will provide television coverage.
This Tournament marks the twentieth year of the nation's premier early season event and included in the field is the University of Arizona, who is looking to capture an unprecedented fourth championship. This is the fifth time the Wildcats have participated, and after an early exit in 1986, have gone on to win in 1990, 1995, and 1999. Arizona is currently tied with the University of Kansas, each with three titles to their credit.
Other finalists that hope for a return trip to New York over the Thanksgiving holiday include Wake Forest University out of the ACC. The Demon Deacons lost to Syracuse 74-67 in the 2001 finals.
The University of Michigan, (Big 10) the 2004 post season NIT champions are participating for the third time (1986,95); in the 1995 tourney, the Wolverines lost to Arizona 86-79 and went on to defeat Georgia Tech 77-61 in the consolation game. The University of Tulsa, (Western Athletic) also a third time entry looks to better their 1996 showing when they lost to Duke in the semis but then went on to defeat Evansville 55-51 in the consolation game and out of the Atlantic 10, George Washington University, who in 1994 defeated Memphis 69-60 in the consolation game after losing to Ohio University 82-76 in the semifinals.
Other returnees to the preseason NIT are 1998 entrants Niagara University out of the Metro Atlantic Conference and the College of Charleston from the Southern Conference along with third time participant University of Pennsylvania (1994,1999) an Ivy League competitor.
Rounding out the field are eight first time teams: from the BIG EAST, Providence College, the Big 12s University of Colorado, out of the West Coast Conference, San Diego; the Northeast Conference representative, Quinnipiac, American University out of the Patriot League , the Horizon Leagues Wright State, Binghamton from America East and Virginia Commonwealth from the Colonial Athletic Association.
The sites, pairings and dates are as follows:
November 15thGeorge Washington at Wake Forest (ESPN2)
American at Virginia Commonwealth
Binghamton at Michigan
Charleston at Colorado
November 16thNiagara at Providence (ESPN2)
Quinnipiac at Pennsylvania
San Diego at Arizona (ESPN2)
Wright St. at Tulsa