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KSU to host first round NIT game

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David Carducci
March 15, 2010

By David Carducci
Record-Courier staff writer
Kent State University will host the University of Tulsa as a No. 4 seed in the National Invitation Tournament’s first round on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
KSU head coach Geno Ford said a chance to play at least one more game at the M.A.C. Center and the potential for a second-round game at perennial Big Ten power Illinois are more than satisfactory consolation prizes after the Golden Flashes missed out on the season’s ultimate goal.
“Of course we had hoped to play in the NCAA Tournament, but we are thrilled to have a home game against one of the premier mid-major programs in the country over the last 15-to-20 years,” Ford said.
Fifth-seeded Tulsa will arrive in Kent with a 21-10 overall record after finishing fifth in the Conference USA standings (10-6). The Golden Hurricane are led by 6-foot-3 senior guard Ben Uzoh and 7-foot senior center Jerome Jordan, who average 15.3 and 15.2 points per game, respectively.
“We had a chance to see Tulsa in person last year because they were in Texas with us in the same exempt tournament with us on South Padre Island,” said Ford. “Jordan and Uzoh were their two best players then, and they are still on the team. Jordan is a 7-footer who is on the NBA (draft) boards, and Uzoh is a big, strong, really terrific player.”
Wednesday’s winner will play either No. 1 Illinois or No. 8 Stony Brook. Despite having the better seed, Illinois (19-14) will travel to Stony Brook (22-9) for Wednesday’s first-round game because its home arena is already scheduled to host a St. Patrick’s Day performance of Cirque Du Soleil’s Alegria.
Kent State could also end up hosting Illinois at the M.A.C. Center in round two. Second-round games are scheduled for March 19, 20 or 22, and Cirque Du Soleil’s run at the University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall is scheduled through March 21. If Illinois hosts a second-round game, it would have to be March 22.
The NIT is often overlooked as college basketball’s “other” postseason tournament, but with big name teams like Illinois, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, Memphis, St. John’s, Mississippi, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, North Carolina and North Carolina State in the 32-team field, “that’s a mistake,” according to Ford.
“Getting a No. 4 seed in this field is pretty good,” Ford said. “When you look at it, the No. 4 seeds in the NIT’s other brackets are Connecticut, Seton Hall and North Carolina. North Carolina won the NCAA tournament last year, so we are the same seed as the defending national champs. That’s not a bad thing. The bottom line is we get one more home game. We are really happy about that.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s game with Tulsa will go on sale this morning at the M.A.C. Center’s ticket office and by phone at 330-672-2244. Ticket prices are $20 for chairbacks, $15 for lower reserved seats, $10 for all upper seats and $4 for students.




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