The Missouri State University basketball Bears of head coach Barry Hinson will host the San Diego State University Aztecs in the first round of the 70th MasterCard NIT Wednesday (March 14) at 9 p.m. in Hammons Student Center. The game will be nationally-televised on ESPNU.
The third seed in the eight-team South Region of the 32-team NIT, the Bears will face the sixth-seeded Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference in the opening round. The Missouri State-SDSU winner will face a second-round matchup March 19 against the winner of Wednesday’s clash between second-seeded Syracuse and seventh-seeded South Alabama.
Clemson is the top seed in the South and will host eighth-seeded East Tennessee. The region’s other matchup pits #4 Ole Miss and #5 Appalachian State. The higher seeds stay at home through the first three rounds, so, if Missouri State wins Wednesday, South Alabama would have to win at Syracuse for the Bears to get a second home game March 19. The top seeds in the other three brackets include Mississippi State, West Virginia and Air Force.
Tickets for Wednesday game for Bears’ fans will go on sale Monday. Season ticket holders may call (417) 836-8300 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., to reserve their season seats for the San Diego State game. Season tickets holders will have until 6 p.m. Tuesday to purchase their season seats for Wednesday’s game.
For non-season ticket holders, including mini-season ticket holders, the Athletics Box Office in Hammons Student Center will be open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in person or by phone at (417) 836-7678. Tickets purchased by phone may be picked up the East lobby of Hammons starting at 12 noon on Tuesday.
Ticket prices for all NIT games at Missouri State are $17 for lower level chairback seats, $15 for upper level chairbacks and $10 for reserved bleachers. Missouri State student tickets are $8 for chairbacks and $6 for reserved bleachers.
The Bears take a 22-10 record into the NIT with seven wins in their last 10 games. The Bears finished 12-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference play, three games behind season champ Southern Illinois, one game behind season runner-up and tourney champ Creighton and two games in front of fourth-place Bradley. The Bears beat Wichita State in the quarterfinals fo the State Farm MVC Tournament and then lost to Creighton in the semifinals. The Bears recorded their 14th first division finish in 17 seasons in the Valley and their 22nd first division conference finish in 25 seasons in Division I. Missouri State competed in the Mid-Continent from 1982 until joining the Valley in 1990.
San Diego State brings a 21-10 record into the NIT. The Aztecs tied with Air Force for third in the Mountain West with 10-6 league records. San Diego State was upset by Colorado State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tourney.
After a best-ever six Missouri Valley Conference teams in postseason play in 2006, the Valley has four this year, with SIU and Creighton in the NCAA field while Bradley joins Missouri State in the NIT.
Hinson came to Missouri State in 1999-00 after two years as head coach at Oral Roberts. This is his seventh winning season with the Bears, his fourth postseason ballclub and his third 20-win team. Hinson also had the Bears in the NIT in 2000, 2005 and 2006. His record in eight seasons at Missouri State is 152-100 and his overall mark in 10 years as a college head coach is 188-123.
The Bears’ NIT appearance stretches the Missouri State string of consecutive seasons with one or both of its basketball teams reaching postseason play to 22 years. This is the Bears’ eighth NIT bid to go with six NCAA appearances. Missouri State has previously played in the NIT in 1986, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2006. Missouri State reached the quarterfinals in 1986, 1993 and 2006 and the Bears have an overall 9-7 NIT record.
