Penn State Basketball Earns NIT Invite, Its First Postseason Bid Since 2014
Penn State basketball is heading back to the NIT for the first time since 2009, after a 21-13 record and a trip to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
Pat Chambers’ team earned a four-seed on its side bracket and will host Temple in the first round of the tournament. They host the Owls on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center on ESPNU.
Notre Dame, Oregon, and Rider are among the teams that fill out Penn State’s corner of the field.
NIT bracket, for those interested: pic.twitter.com/cQPrlsDx7l
— Rush the Court (@rushthecourt) March 12, 2018
The Nittany Lions won the National Invitation Tournament in that last appearance nine years ago, when Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley led the Blue and White over Baylor 69-63 in the NIT Championship Game.
The 32-team tournament is played at the home court of the higher-seeded team in each of the first three rounds. The semifinal matches and the championship game both take place in Madison Square Garden on March 27-29.
Penn State had not made a postseason appearance since 2014, when it earned its first and only CBI bid in program history. The Blue and White narrowly missed a berth to its first NCAA Tournament since 2011 following a season that included three victories over ranked Ohio State, and an impressive showing in the conference tournament.
The Nittany Lions are 22-9 all-time in the NIT, reaching at least the semifinals in five of its last seven appearances. This will be Penn State’s eleventh appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
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