UC Irvine earns No. 1 seed in NIT tournament

UC Irvine's men's basketball team has received a No. 1 seed in the NIT after failing to win the Big West Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. They will host Northern Colorado in the first round on Wednesday. The Anteaters, with a 28-6 record, aimed for an NCAA Tournament spot but lost to UC San Diego in the championship game. This marks their third straight appearance in the NIT. UCI's coach noted the challenges mid-major teams face in securing at-large bids due to scheduling difficulties. The Anteaters played a tough nonconference schedule but could not secure enough quality wins to impress the NCAA selection committee.