SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men's basketball team received its first round opponent in the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), and the verdict was the Lamar Cardinals out of the Southland Conference. The Roadrunners and Cardinals are slated for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Wed., March 14, inside the Convocation Center.
Tickets for the game are $10 for general admission and $5 for groups purchasing 10 or more tickets. The first 400 UTSA students in attendance will be admitted free of charge.
Postseason tournaments are not included as part of season ticket packages and no complimentary tickets are available.
To purchase tickets, click HERE or call the UTSA Athletics Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872).
The CIT features five rounds of play over the next three weeks. The semifinals (March 28, 6 p.m. CT) and championship game (March 30, 7 p.m. CT) will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.
This is the 10th anniversary of the CIT and the tournament has served as a showcase for talented players and programs from across the nation. The CIT was created to provide an opportunity to participate in postseason for deserving programs not selected to play in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
The 20-team field is made up of non-Power 5 programs, not selected to participate in the NCAA or NIT (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12 and SEC teams are not considered). Games are played on campus sites. In an effort to minimize travel and limit missed class time, the CIT uses the old NIT model, with future round opponents determined by results of the previous round, ensuring geographic stability. The 2009 and 2010 tournaments were contested by 16 teams. The 2011 CIT consisted of 24 teams and adopted its current format 2012.
This year's field includes the Roadrunners, Lamar, Wofford, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sam Houston State, Central Michigan, Fort Wayne, Abilene Christian, Drake, North Carolina A&T, Liberty, Hartford, San Diego, Saint Francis (PA), UIC, Niagara, Eastern Michigan, UL Monroe and Austin Peay.
UTSA is making its fifth postseason appearance in the program's 37-year history, joining the NCAA Tournament teams of 1988, 1999, 2004 and 2011. The Roadrunners will look to earn the program's second postseason victory in program history, accompanying the 2011 squad that defeated Alabama State 70-61 in the NCAA First Four.
The Roadrunners, owners of a 186 RPI, enter the CIT boasting an 19-14 overall record and fresh off a Conference USA Championship quarterfinal appearance after placing fifth in C-USA's regular season standings.
UTSA is led by the 2018 Conference USA Gene Bartow Coach of the Year Steve Henson along with C-USA Sixth Player of the Year Deon Lyle and All-Freshman Team selection Keaton Wallace. Jhivvan Jackson also earned C-USA Freshman of the Year, second team all-conference and all-freshman team honors, but will miss the remainder of the season with an injury sustained on Feb. 24.
The Roadrunners average 78.6 points per game, which ranks third in C-USA, have set the UTSA record with 335 3-pointers, rank as the nation's 11th-best rebounding team at 40.1 boards per game and are among the top 20 percent of NCAA teams with a 41.8 defensive field goal percentage.
More schools (25) have made their postseason debut in the CIT than all other tournaments combined during the nine seasons since the CIT was established in 2009. Also, 33 schools have claimed the first postseason victory in program history over the last nine years of the CIT, which is also a record.
The CIT has produced three NBA Lottery picks and two top 10 selections in Weber State's Damian Lillard (6th overall in 2012) When the dynamic Portland Trail Blazers sensation Lillard was named 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, it marked the first time since 1955 that a tournament, other than the NCAA Tournament had produced the award winner.
For history on College Insider, Inc. visit http://www.collegeinsider.com/history.php.
2018 COLLEGEINSIDER.COM POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
THE CLASSICS
MONDAY, MARCH 12
Winners will play Wofford (21-12), Northern Colorado (22-12), Portland State (20-13) and Sam Houston State (19-14)
Hugh Durham Classic – 11 AM CT on CBS Sports Network
Central Michigan (19-14) @ Fort Wayne (18-14)
Lou Henson Classic - 1 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
Abilene Christian (16-15) @ Drake (16-16)
Jim Phelan Classic- 5 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
North Carolina A&T (20-14) @ Liberty (20-14)
Riley Wallace Classic 9 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
Hartford (19-13) @ San Diego (18-13)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
Saint Francis PA (18-12) @ UIC (17-15)
Niagara (19-13) @ Eastern Michigan (21-12)
Lamar (19-13) @ UTSA (19-14)
THURSDAY, MARCH 15
UL Monroe (16-15) @ Austin Peay (18-14)
QUARTERFINALS
MARCH 22-25
SEMIFINALS
MARCH 28
5 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
8 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 30
6 PM CT on CBS Sports Network
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