California Baptist University
#2 Middle Tennessee
MBB Preview: CBU to Face Middle Tennessee in First Round of CBI on Saturday
3/14/2022 11:33:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DAYTONA BEACH --- The 16-team field for the 2022 College Basketball Invitational was announced on Sunday night, as California Baptist University earned the #15 seed and will face the #2 seed Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. (PST) in the first round.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: vs. #2 seed Middle Tennessee
Date: March 19
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida (Ocean Center)
Video: FloHoops
Stats: Statbroadcast
The 14th College Basketball Invitational returns to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, featuring a new format. Prior to 2021, the CBI consisted of a 16-team field with games played on campus sites. Once the tournament was down to two teams, a best-of-three series was played, moving between the two home campuses, to determine the champion. The 2020 CBI was canceled due to the pandemic but returned in 2021 with eight teams playing a single-elimination tournament in Daytona Beach, with was won by Pepperdine with an 84-61 decision over Coastal Carolina. This year, the CBI is back at the Ocean Center, the field returns to 16 teams, seeded 1-16 for the first time, and it will retain the single-elimination format introduced last year.
Notable Notes:
- The Blue Raiders enter the postseason tournament at 23-10 and won the Conference-USA East Division Regular Season Title.
- The matchup between the Lancers and the Blue Raiders will mark a first-time meeting between the two programs.
- This will be MT's first appearance in the CBI, while it marks the Lancers' second appearance since making the transition in the NCAA DI ranks in the 2018-19 season.
- MT is led by Josh Jefferson, Eli Lawrence and Donovan Sims as the three players to average double digits on the season.
- Jefferson, who averages a team-best 14.6 points per game, was named All-Conference USA Second Team.
- Lawrence, Eims, and DeAndre Dishman have played and started in all 33 games for the Blue Raiders.
- As a team, the Blue Raiders have a scoring margin of +7.2 against their opponents while forcing opponents to turn the ball over 15.1 times per game.
- Nick McDevitt was announced as the 20th head coach at Middle Tennessee on March 24, 2018.
- Coach McDevitt was named the Gene Bartow Coach of the Year.
Past CBI champions include Tulsa, Oregon State, VCU, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Santa Clara, Siena, Loyola Chicago, Nevada, Wyoming, North Texas, South Florida and Pepperdine. Teams from nearly every conference have participated in the event. Thirty-one teams have used the CBI to springboard to the NCAA Tournament the following year, while another 20 have gone on to the NIT.
About the Gazelle Group
The College Basketball Invitational is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. In addition to the CBI, Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized college basketball events, such as the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Legends Classic, the Gotham Classic, the Sunshine Slam, and the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off hockey tournament. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.
