UVa post-season still a reality

By Andy Bitter

Published: March 15, 2008

The Virginia men’s basketball team will play in the inaugural 16-team College Basketball Invitational. That’s provided the National Invitation Tournament doesn’t come calling tonight.
On Saturday, the Cavaliers (15-15) accepted a bid to participate in the newly created CBI, two days after an opening round loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament. However, if the NIT extends an invitation to Virginia — an unlikely scenario considering UVa’s résumé — the school will accept that bid.
The 32-team NIT field will be finalized tonight once the 65-team NCAA Tournament bracket is set.
“It was determined our approach would be to pursue options that would allow our student-athletes the opportunity to keep playing,” Virginia associate director of athletics Jon Oliver said in a release. “Our efforts the last two days were focused on understanding the logistics of the new tournament and keeping all of our options open.”
It marks the third straight postseason tournament appearance for Virginia under coach Dave Leitao, whose team made the NCAA Tournament last year and the NIT the year before.
The CBI, in its first year, will have 16 teams split into four brackets based on geography — the East, West, South and Midwest. It’s a single elimination tournament at home sites with a best-of-three championship series in a home-away-home format.
Virginia has been told it would host a first-round game on Tuesday at the John Paul Jones Arena. Tip-off is expected to be at 7 p.m. unless TV coverage dictates a change.
Tickets will go on sale at VirginiaSports.com shortly after the invitation is officially accepted Sunday night. Purchases can be made at the Virginia athletics ticket office in person or by phone at 1-800-542-UVA1 beginning Monday at 9 a.m.
Reserved seats are $10. Tickets are $5 for UVa students. Parking is also $5.