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3/15/2009 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
Three A-Sun Teams Earn Postseason Berths
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ETSU Conference CallJOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The waiting is finally over and the ETSU men’s basketball team has its assignment.
During Sunday evenings live CBS Selection Show, the Buccaneers and the rest of the nation learned that ETSU has received a No. 16 seed in this week’s NCAA Tournament and will face off with top-seeded Pittsburgh on Friday in Dayton, Ohio. Over 1,000 ETSU fans gathered inside the Millennium Center to learn of Bucs’ matchup for the tournament, and CBS actually aired the players, coaches and fans’ reaction on its national telecast.
The Bucs (23-10) enter the tournament as champions of the Atlantic Sun Conference, while the Panthers (28-4) enter as an at-large team from the BIG EAST. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
ETSU earned its eighth NCAA appearance by defeating Jacksonville, 85-68, in the finals of the 2009 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Championships. The Buccaneers last made the NCAAs in 2004, losing a first-round game to Cincinnati, 80-77, as a No. 13 seed in Columbus.
By virtue of winning the regular-season title, Jacksonville guaranteed itself a spot in the 32-team NIT field. The Dolphins last appeared in the NIT in 1987, losing to Florida in the first round.
The 22-year wait for the postseason at JU will end on Wednesday as the Dolphins will travel to face Florida in the first round of the NIT.
Tickets will also be available through the Florida ticket office (after 6 p.m. on Monday – website or phone: 352-375-4683 x6800).
The game will be broadcast on the JU Sports Network, with Barry Milligan calling the action on 1010XL. The Bono’s Barbecue pregame show will air at 7:30 p.m.
The winner between the top-seeded Gators and eighth-seeded Dolphins will face the winner of No. 4 seed Miami and No. 5 seed Providence.
"We are excited about going to the postseason and playing Florida," said JU head coach Cliff Warren. "This is a great experience for our team and great exposure for our program. Florida is a great program that is well coached and has a lot of experience.
"It's an exciting time around our program right now and we're looking forward to the game."
The last time JU was in the postseason, the Dolphins traveled to Vanderbilt for the 1987 NIT, losing by two - a span of 626 games between postseason appearances.
This is the fifth trip to the NIT for JU (1972, 1974, 1980, 1987), with JU advancing to the Final Four twice (1972 and 1974). The Dolphins sport a 5-5 record in the event, but have lost their last four games dating back to 1974.
Florida owns a 26-4 lead in the all-time series, with JU's last win coming in 1994.
The last A-Sun school to win a postseason game came in the 2001 NCAA Tournament when Georgia State upset the sixth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers. The last NIT win came in 1996 when College of Charleston defeated Tennessee.
After three years in the NCAA, Belmont will make its fourth straight postseason appearance as the Bruins accepted a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Bruins will take on Evansville on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. CT.
The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is a single-elimination tournament, consisting of four rounds, with the first three rounds being played at on-campus sites, which will be determined by seeding. The inaugural championship game will be played at an on-campus site to be determined by seeding.