Selection Sunday was, to say the least, tense. Several teams hoping to get the nod were left out and others received surprising seeds. The biggest surprise was Middle Tennessee not getting in. The tournament selection committee gave Oklahoma the ticket, snubbing the Blue Raiders.
The biggest ticket in the state went to the Volunteers. Tennessee was named a 3-seed in the South Region which also includes Kentucky as a five-seed, which was a surprise. The Vols will face Wright State in round one on Thursday at 11:40 in Dallas. Kentucky plays a tough Davidson. No player on Tennessee’s roster has ever played in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Rick Barnes is making his 23rd trip to the NCAA Tournament. The National Coach of the Year candidate is now one of only 13 head coaches ever to lead four different Division I programs to the NCAA Tournament, as he previously took Providence, Clemson and Texas to The Big Dance.
The Bisons of Lipscomb University is making its first ever trip to the Dance. They’ll have a major task right off facing the Tar Heels of North Carolina. In front of a large Bison crowd, it was announced that No. 15-seeded Lipscomb will take on No. 2-seeded North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The matchup is set for Friday, March 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
MTSU despite holding a 35 RPI and winning the Conference USA regular season title did not do enough according to the committee, instead settles for a consolation prize: the National Invitation Tournament, which it earned an automatic bid to thanks to securing the Conference USA regular-season title. The Blue Raiders (24-7) will host Vermont (27-7) at the Murphy Center 7pm Tuesday.General admission tickets are $10.00. The winner plays the winner of second-seeded Louisville and seventh-seeded Northern Kentucky.