Bearcats senior forward Landers Nolley II began his career at Virginia Tech and will get a chance to face his former program in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena!
During his redshirt freshman season with the Hokies, Nolley averaged a team-high 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game en route to being named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2020.
Nolley received All-AAC First Team honors after leading the Bearcats with 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this year, and was named to the All-AAC Tournament Team last week.
Prior to his sophomore campaign, the Georgia native transferred to Memphis and played two years under Penny Hardaway before eventually ending up at Cincinnati as a senior this season.
Landers Nolley II became the eighth player in #Bearcats history to earn All-AAC First Team honors after scoring a team-high 16.5 points and 5.7 rebounds this season! 🐾https://t.co/p29q8jKUfy pic.twitter.com/S3ZDLLE9kr
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) March 9, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Landers Nolley II prepares to face former program Virginia Tech in NIT
- 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
Cincinnati hasn’t participated in the postseason tournament in more than a decade but Nolley earned the MVP award after helping Memphis win the NIT championship game in 2021.
Wes Miller’s team will get a chance to finish the postseason on a positive note against Virginia Tech and possibly beyond. Tip off is set for Wednesday at 9:00 PM on ESPN2 and fuboTV.
Virginia Tech guard Hunter Cattoor is the only player that was teammates with Nolley. Cattoor is fourth on the Hokies with 10.8 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting from 3-point range.
#Bearcats earn a 4-seed in the NIT and will host Virginia Tech in the first round on Wednesday at 9:00 PM! 🐾https://t.co/a21BOp2sUl pic.twitter.com/SA0jCrK2BG
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) March 13, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats scheduled to host Virginia Tech in NIT first round matchup
Even though the AAC Tournament came to a disappointing conclusion, the Bearcats opted to accept an invitation to the NIT and will compete in the event for the first time since 2010.
Madison Square Garden hosted the NIT semifinals and championship game since 1938 but it will take place at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas this month. Check out the full 2023 NIT bracket here!
If Cincinnati can get past Virginia Tech, it would likely result in a second round matchup at Rutgers on Saturday or Sunday. Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Rutgers received the top seeds.
Virginia Tech fell short of reaching a third straight NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 19-14 record including notable wins over Duke, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Virginia.