From UConn:
STORRS — The UConn men’s basketball team, fresh off its appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship finals, has accepted an at-large bid to continue its postseason in the National Invitation Tournament.
The Huskies, 20-14, are a No. 4 seed in the 32-team NIT field and will play host to Arizona State out of the Pac-12 on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
UConn bowed to SMU, 62-54, in the AAC championship game Sunday at the XL Center after a thrilling run of three victories in three days over USF, Cincinnati and Tulsa to reach the title game against the Mustangs.
It will be UConn’s 13th appearance in the NIT and its first since 2010. The Huskies have an overall NIT record of 15-11, including an NIT Championship in 1988 under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun.
Arizona State, 17-15 overall, finished 9-9 in the Pac-12, tied with Stanford for fifth place. The Sun Devils, out of Tempe, lost to USC, 67-64, in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. It is also their 13th appearance in the NIT and they have an overall record of 6-12. Coached by Herb Sendek, the Sun Devils made their last NIT appearance in 2013.
Arizona State is led by 6-5 senior Shaquielle McKissic, averaging 12.0 points per game, while 6-6 sophomore Savon Goodman (11.0) and 6-4 junior Gerry Blakes (10.9) are also double-figure scorers.
The winner of Wednesday’s first-round game will advance to the NIT round of 16, facing the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Richmond, 19-13, out of the Atlantic 10 and No. 8 seed St. Francis of Brooklyn, 23-11, from the Northeast Conference. The date and time and location of the second-round game are to be determined.
Two other members of the American Athletic Conference received NIT at-large bids Sunday night. Temple is a No. 1 seed and will face No. 8 seed Bucknell in a first-round game, while Tulsa received a No. 2 seed and will meet No. 7 seed William & Mary in the first round.
This year’s NIT will use two experimental rules in all games. The 35-second shot clock will be reduced to 30 seconds and the restricted arc in the lane will be widened from three feet to four feet.
The NIT semifinals are schedule for March 31 and the championship finals are on April 2, both at Madison Square Garden.
Ticket information
Tickets for Wednesday night’s first round game vs. Arizona State are priced at $10 apiece and $4 for UConn students.
UConn Club members and Husky season tickets holders can purchase tickets at UConnTickets.com during an exclusive time period of Sunday night through Monday at noon.
Tickets to the general public will go on sale Monday at noon at UConnTickets.com and will have the ability to select their seats and print tickets at home. Tickets can also be purchased by visiting the UConn Ticket Office in Storrs or by calling the UConn Ticket Office at 1-877-AT-UCONN from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
UConn students can purchase tickets at the box office in Storrs, including game night.
Parking at the North and South Garages will be available for $5 on Wednesday night, which is paid upon entry to the garage.
