MIAMI NIT BOUND, TOUGH FIRST ROUND DRAW
Submitted by Brandon Odoi on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 13:25
Miami (18-12) will try to put a positive spin on a disappointing season when it travels to Providence to play in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament Wednesday.
Providence is a talented Big East team that fell just shy of reaching the NCAA tournament in its own right. Miami, a No. 4 seed in the 32-team tournament should be the host for the game but because the university rents the BankUnited Center, it is unavailable for the game that will be played at 7 p.m. and televised on ESPN2.
Miami’s draw in the first round of the NIT is a tough one. Providence (19-13), a No. 5 seed finished the season with a loss to NCAA Tournament overall No. 1 seed Louisville in the Big East Tournament. The Friars were considered a strong bubble team who could garner an NCAA at-large bid with wins over then No. 1 ranked Pittsburg, and Big East Conference Tournament runner-up, Syracuse.
With a win over Providence, Miami would get an intriguing in-state match up against either Jacksonville or Florida. A win over the Gators, the No. 1 seed in the Hurricane half of the NIT bracket would be a nice treat for a season that fell just shy of expectations. The other top seeds in Miami’s NIT regional bracket are No. 2 seed Penn State and No. 3 seed Niagara.
