Kansas to participate in the 2018 NIT Season Tip-Off

BROOKLYN – Kansas men’s basketball will be one of four teams featured at the 2018 NIT Season Tip-Off, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Thanksgiving Week of 2018, ESPN announced Thursday.
 
Joining Kansas in the 2018 field is Louisville, Marquette and Tennessee. Pairings for the Nov. 21 and 23 event will be decided later.
 

  • The second-winningest program in NCAA history, current No. 3/2 Kansas advanced to the Elite 8 in the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed after earning at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title for the 13th consecutive season. Under Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, Kansas has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the last two years (2016, 2017).

 

  • No. 19/18 Louisville advanced to the Second Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed, marking its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 11 seasons. The Cardinals have made appearances in 42 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Final Fours and have won three NCAA Championships (1980, 1986, 2013). 

 

  • One of seven BIG EAST programs selected for the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Marquette earned a No. 10 seed following a campaign where the Golden Eagles tied for third in the conference. Head coach Steve Wojciechowski, currently in his fourth season, added his first NCAA appearance as a head coach in 2017 following his first 20-win campaign in 2015-16.

 

  • Tennessee – which won the NIT Season Tip-Off in its last appearance (2010) – returns to the event under the direction of veteran head coach Rick Barnes, who ranks eighth among active Division I coaches in career wins. The Vols have made five Sweet Sixteen appearances since 2000, most recently in 2014.

 
Next year will mark the fourth-straight year at Barclays Center for the NIT Season Tip-Off, which has been played in New York City every November since 1985. The current field features Seton Hall, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Rhode Island.
 
The NIT Season Tip-Off is one of 11 college basketball events owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.
 
No. 3 Kansas (4-0) will host Oakland (2-2) on Friday, Nov. 24, in a campus game for the Hoophall Miami Invitational. Tip from Allen Fieldhouse will be at 7 p.m. (Central) and can be seen on Jayhawk TV/ESPN3. A limited amount of tickets are available at www.KUAthletics.com.

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