Although making an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since 2006 was the UCF men’s basketball team ultimate goal this season, the Knights will have to settle for the program’s first-ever National Invitation Tournament bid.
After losing to Memphis in the semi-finals of the Conference-USA Tournament Friday, it was announced that UCF made the NIT field as a No. 6 seed and will play at third-seeded Drexel University in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
“Receiving an invitation to the NIT for the first time is a tremendous step for our program,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said in a press release. “The NIT has a great history, and earning an invitation to this tournament is a great honor. Drexel is a great team that has enjoyed a tremendous season, and it will be a great challenge to meet them on their home court.”
The Dragons finished 27-6 this season and notched the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title. The Knights will face a tough road contest as Drexel posted a 13-0 home record this season.
Making the NITs is a big improvement for the UCF basketball program after making the College Basketball Invitational tournament last season. The Knights lost to Creighton in the semi-finals of the CBI.
The Knights can show how far the program has come since hiring Coach Jones as the successor to Kirk Speraw with a big showing in the postseason.
Jones has guided UCF to back-to-back 20-win campaigns and consecutive postseason appearances. The Knights finished 21-12 overall last year and 6-10 in C-USA, while posting a 22-10 record this year and a 10-6 finish in league play.
The NIT is a 32-team event with the first three rounds being hosted by the team with the higher seed. The semifinals and finals will be played in Madison Square Garden in New York on March 27 and 29.
If UCF can knock out Drexel, the Knights will play the winner of the Saint Joseph-Northern Iowa game.
Keep checking KnightNews for further coverage of the UCF basketball’s team March Madness playoff journey.
