Indiana State to host NIT opening round

Indiana State men's basketball earned a No. 1 seed in this year's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) as the tournament field was announced on Sunday night.

The Sycamores accepted the invitation and will host Southern Methodist (20-12) inside Hulman Center. Tipoff for the first-round game between Indiana State and SMU is set for Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be carried live on ESPN+.

The Sycamores and SMU are joined on the top right side of the bracket by the following teams:

No. 4 Butler vs Minnesota

No. 3 Bradley vs Loyola Chicago

No. 2 Cincinnati vs San Francisco

The NIT is a 32-team tournament, with this year's semifinals and championship being held at the famous Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The championship is set for April 4 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Indiana State will be in postseason basketball in back-to-back seasons, after accepting an invite to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one year ago.