The Minnesota men's basketball team wasn't invited to the Big Dance, but they'll still be playing in the postseason.
The Gophers were chosen as a No. 6 seed in the 32-team National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and will play LaSalle in the first round on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. The winner of that game will play the winner of Miami (Fla.) and Valparaiso in the second round.
Minnesota's hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid were dashed when they faltered in the second half of the Big Ten season. After a 12-1 mark in non-conference play, the Gophers lost their first four Big Ten games and later went on a six-game losing streak against conference foes. That streak was snapped by a win over Nebraska in the regular-season finale, but it was too late to stop the bleeding as Minnesota finished 6-12 in the Big Ten.
The Gophers (19-14) defeated Northwestern -- another NIT team -- in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, but fell to Michigan by four points in the second round. LaSalle (21-12) finished 9-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Senior guard Earl Pettis leads the Explorers with 15.3 points per game, while junior guard Ramon Galloway is second in scoring (14.2 ppg).
Minnesota did not take part in any postseason tournaments last year. In five years under head coach Tubby Smith, the Gophers have been to the NCAA Tournament just twice. Other Big Ten teams in this year's NIT include Northwestern (No. 4 seed) and Iowa (No. 7). The NIT Championship will be held March 29 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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