The Illinois State Redbirds will be facing the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday as both teams begin play in this year's NIT. The Redbirds nearly landed an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament last week, but they lost in overtime to Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference title game.
Now, Illinois State is hoping to end its season on high note with some success in the NIT. The Redbirds played extremely well in the conference tournament, beating a solid Northern Iowa team and a nationally ranked Wichita State team before falling short against Creighton, so they have some momentum going into this game.
Ole Miss, a No. 2 seed in the NIT, had an up-and-down year in the SEC. They ended the season with five wins in six games, though, including solid victories over Alabama and Tennessee.
Game date/time: Wednesday, March 14, 9:30 p.m. EST
Location: C.M. 'Tad' Smith Coliseum, Oxford, Miss.
TV: ESPNU
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