Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats scheduled to host Virginia Tech in NIT first round matchup

After missing the NCAA Tournament for a third year in a row, the Bearcats are scheduled to host Virginia Tech in the first round of the 2023 NIT on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena!

Wes Miller’s team will get a chance to finish the postseason on a positive note against a talented ACC opponent and possibly more. Tip off is set for Wednesday at 9:00 PM on ESPN2 and fuboTV.

Even though the AAC Tournament came to a disappointing conclusion, Cincinnati opted to accept an invitation to the NIT and will participate in the annual tournament for the first time since 2010.

Virginia Tech fell short of reaching a third consecutive NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 19-14 record including impressive wins over Duke, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats scheduled to host Virginia Tech in NIT first round matchup

• Date: Wednesday, March 15 at 9:00 PM
• Location: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
• TV Broadcast: ESPN2 and fuboTV
• Series History: Virginia Tech leads 18-12

If the Bearcats are able to get past Virginia Tech, it would likely result in a second round matchup at Rutgers next weekend. Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Rutgers received the top seeds.

Following an impressive win over Temple, the Bearcats fell flat in a frustrating loss against top seeded Houston and were eliminated in the AAC Tournament semifinals on Saturday evening.

There was significant improvement from last year but Cincinnati came up short of expectations again and will miss a third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats set to participate in the NIT for first time since 2010

Madison Square Garden has hosted the NIT semifinals and championship game since 1938 but will take place at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas this year. Check out the full 2023 NIT bracket here!

The program’s most recent appearance in the tournament was in 2010, which eventually resulted in a second round loss against in-state foe Dayton following a first round win over Weber State.

Cincinnati hasn’t played in the postseason event in more than a decade but senior forward Landers Nolley II led Memphis to a NIT championship and was named MVP in 2021.