Gophers get to keep playing, vs. La Salle in NIT

Published Mar. 11, 2012 10:48 p.m. ET

foxsports

Minnesota is one of three Big Ten teams in the National Invitation Tournament.

The 32-team field was unveiled Sunday, and the Gophers got a No. 6 seed in their group. They'll play La Salle (21-12) in Philadelphia on Wednesday. The winner will face Miami or Valparaiso.

This is the second time coach Tubby Smith will take the Gophers to the NIT. They lost to Maryland in the first round in his first season. They made the NCAA tournament the next two years and didn't go anywhere last year after finishing 17-14.

This year, though they went 6-12 in conference play for the second straight season, the Gophers beat Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten tournament before falling to Michigan and ending the season 19-14.