I jist got an email from the athletic department telling me that NIT tickets are available. I guess that means we’re in. Good news, it seems to me. At the beginning of the season I said that getting into the NIT would be a sign of measurable progress. I still think so. Not what we were hoping for, but it is progress. And Ben Carlson, after his devotion to the program, deserves some postseason play.
The email suggested that we already know that we will be at home for the first game. That’s good, we have a decent chance of winning then.
I’ll go to the NIT game(s) because I like the fight in this team and want to see a little momentum going into next season.
Play for the love of the game, for each other, for the fans. This team could have folded when things got tough, when we couldn’t win a road game… but they didn’t.
The Hunty had really good energy a number of times this year.
Lay it out, Utes, put your name on it, help lay a foundation for next season.
I think this game is a referendum on whether Ute fans want a thriving bball program or whether they just want to ■■■■■ and moan. Easy for me to say since I live in San Diego most of bball season. I did, however, make it to 5 men’s home games, 2 women’s home games and 2 gymnastics meets.
Here’s the key information from the Athletics Dept.:
The Runnin’ Utes are currently projected to host up to the first three rounds of the 2024 NIT. If selected to host, the first-round game will be held at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on either Tuesday, March 19 or Wednesday, March 20 (exact date and time TBD). Subsequent games for the second and third rounds will be held in the Jon M. Huntsman Center if Utah advances (dates/times TBD).
The NIT bracket will be revealed during the Selection Show at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 on ESPN2. Tickets for the first-round game will go on sale immediately following the bracket reveal on Sunday. Tickets for second- and third-round games will go on sale following Utah victories. Tickets will be $20 for lower bowl seats and floor seat tickets will be $40.
As a valued season ticket holder, you will receive an opportunity to purchase tickets for your season seats for the first-round game and any subsequent games Utah hosts. Following the bracket reveal this Sunday, you will receive an email with a link to claim your tickets for season seat location and you will have until 12 p.m. MT on Monday, March 18 to claim your seats. After that time, any unclaimed seats will be released for public sale.
You are also welcome to purchase seating open to the general public following the bracket reveal. Please call/text the Utah Ticket Office at (801) 581-8849 with any questions.
With some home games, Utah could make this like 2018 and get to the semis or finals. Depends on the draws, of course, and how motivated the players are.
Unfortunately that would eliminate the entire student body in these institutions .
Seriously though, I love the super quirky personalities of those West Coast schools like Irvine, Santa Cruz and Evergreen State. Normal nicknames would be such an odd mismatch for them.
Well, if Utah wins, it will have gone undefeated against University of California schools this year in Men’s Basketball. Utah has already beaten UCLA twice, Cal, and UC Riverside. A win would also secure Utah’s first 20-win season since 2018: when they made the run to the NIT Championship Game.
from ucirvinesports.com article [results updated with utahutes.com recaps] LONG TIME NO SEE
UC Irvine and Utah will meet for the first time in 16 [much closer to 15] years on Tuesday. The two teams last met in the 2008-09 season where the Anteaters hosted the Runnin’ Utes inside the Bren Events Center on December 27, 2008 (W, 60-52). UCI last played Utah in Salt Lake City just a year earlier, Dec. 2007 (W, 78-66).
from utahutes.com article KNOWING THY FOE
The two-time defending Big West Regular-Season Champions are led by 14th-year head coach Russell Turner, who has led the Anteaters to nine seasons with 20-plus wins. UCI enters Tuesday’s match-up 24-9 overall with a 17-3 mark in Big West action. As the top-seed in the conference tournament, UCI fell to a hot Long Beach State team that won three-straight games this past weekend to punch its ticket to the Big Dance. This will be UCI’s eighth NIT appearance all-time and the fourth under Turner.
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UC Irvine utilizes its full roster with 12 of the 13 players with statistics having played at least 27 games. Of the 13, only two have played less than 350 minutes on the year. The team’s top-four scorers are predominantly upper classmen with the exception of one.
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Redshirt senior Justin Hohn leads the way averaging 12.7 points with a team-best 60 made 3-pointers while his 31 steals is second-most on the team and his 51 assists is tied for third-most. Senior Andre Henry is second-leading scorer on the team and only other player averaging in double-digits scoring 10.6 points per game with a 3.7 rebounding average. Freshman Derin Saran, a 6-4 guard out of Istanbul, Turkey, is third on the team in scoring averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 rebounds with a .502 shooting clip. He’s also tied with Hohn for third on the team in assists with 51 dimes. Redshirt Junior Devin Tillis is just behind Saran, averaging 9.5 points with a team-best 6.1 rebounds to go with his 61 assists – which is good for second on the team.
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On the defensive side, the Anteaters have a trio of players with 30-plus blocks on the team, in Dean Keeler (33), Bent Leuchten (31) and Carter Welling (30).
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