Huskies to Host Long Beach State in NIT
By Ben Renner
The Huskies didn’t make the NCAA National Tournament bracket, but they did snap a postseason drought by earning a three-seed in the NIT.
The Huskies will face Long Beach State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament tomorrow at 6pm at Hec Ed. This is their first postseason appearance of any kind since 2013, when they reached the NIT semifinals. The Huskies (18-14) earned a three-seed in the NIT, probably on the strength of their Pac-12 schedule. Even though they weren’t particularly successful playing the tough teams of the Pac-12, Oregon earning a number-one seed in the Big Dance probably helped the Huskies earn a three-seed in the NIT.
More from Washington Huskies
- Washington Basketball: 3 takeaways from Huskies win over Sacramento St.
- Washington Basketball: Week at a Glance – December 10-16
- Washington State Football: Update on former Cougars in the NFL 12/2018
- Washington basketball: 3 takeaways from Huskies 81-79 loss to Gonzaga
- Washington Basketball: Week at a Glance – December 3-9
In a statement release by the University of Washington, Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar said “We’re excited to continue to play more games and get more practices and our lone senior Andrew Andrews gets to extend his career a little longer.” Andrews gets to put on a show for Huskies fans in Seattle again after dropping 47 points on Senior Night against the Washington State Cougars.
The Huskies have made eight appearances in the NIT, going 3-8 overall. In 2013, the Huskies were a number-one seed led by Terrence Ross and Garfield High School’s own Tony Wroten. They fell to Minnesota in the NIT semifinals 68-67 in overtime.
The Long Beach State 49ers come into the tournament with a 12-4 record in the nine-team Big West Conference, finishing third. They were hot coming into the Big West tournament, but lost 64-60 to Hawaii on Saturday. The Niners are led by senior guard Nick Faust, who is averaging 17.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Justin Bibbins leads the team with 5.0 assists per game and chips in 11.8 points.
Next: Player Profile: Felix Hernandez
With a win, the Huskies will face either number-one seed San Diego State or seventh-seeded IPFW, who play each other at 7pm on Tuesday.