Xavier University Athletics
Men's Basketball Will Face Iowa State In Game One Of The 2021 NIT Season Tip-Off
07.15.21 | Men's Basketball, Tickets
XU meets Memphis or Virginia Tech in its second game.
BROOKLYN – ESPN Events has unveiled the tournament bracket for the NIT Season Tip-Off, taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and Friday, Nov. 26. On Wednesday, the Xavier Musketeers meet the Iowa State Cyclones at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU, followed by a matchup between the Memphis Tigers and Virginia Tech Hokies at 9:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN2.
The Friday third-place game will air at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS, with the championship matchup to follow on ESPN2.
Xavier Head Coach Travis Steele welcomes back the top seven scorers from last year's team, including a pair of All-BIG EAST Second Team selections in senior Paul Scruggs and junior Zach Freemantle as well sophomore Colby Jones, a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection. Senior Nate Johnson, one of the nation's top 3-point shooters last season, also returns.
In his first year, Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger will lead Iowa State, who made the NCAA Tournament both in 2019 and for six consecutive years from 2012-17. Head Coach Penny Hardaway and Memphis won the 2021 NIT Championship. Virginia Tech and Head Coach Mike Young are coming off an NCAA Tournament berth, their fourth consecutive tournament appearance (2017-19, 2021).
ESPN's latest 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology included Xavier (No. 7 seed), Memphis (No. 8 seed) and Virginia Tech (No. 9 seed) in the bracket projections.
Iowa State is one of two Big 12 Conference teams that Xavier will face this season. XU visits Oklahoma State on Dec. 5 as part of the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Xavier is 3-1 vs. Big 12 teams over the past four seasons, including 2020-21 (99-77 win over Oklahoma), 2019-20 (67-59 win at TCU), 2018-19 (78-76 overtime loss at Texas) and 2017-18 (76-63 win over Baylor).
Tickets for the NIT Season Tip-Off at Barclays Center start at $29 per day and are on-sale now. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or BarclaysCenter.com, or in-person at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Fans can receive $10 off on certain price levels by using the promo code "BROOKLYN" through Friday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET.
The NIT Season Tip-Off has been played in New York City since 1985 and this fall marks the sixth year the tournament will be held at Barclays Center. XU, which played in the preseason NIT in 1988 and 2002, has not played at Barclays Center since the 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament in XU's final season as an A-10 member. The 2020 NIT Season Tip-Off was canceled due to COVID-19.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
The Friday third-place game will air at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS, with the championship matchup to follow on ESPN2.
Xavier Head Coach Travis Steele welcomes back the top seven scorers from last year's team, including a pair of All-BIG EAST Second Team selections in senior Paul Scruggs and junior Zach Freemantle as well sophomore Colby Jones, a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection. Senior Nate Johnson, one of the nation's top 3-point shooters last season, also returns.
In his first year, Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger will lead Iowa State, who made the NCAA Tournament both in 2019 and for six consecutive years from 2012-17. Head Coach Penny Hardaway and Memphis won the 2021 NIT Championship. Virginia Tech and Head Coach Mike Young are coming off an NCAA Tournament berth, their fourth consecutive tournament appearance (2017-19, 2021).
ESPN's latest 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology included Xavier (No. 7 seed), Memphis (No. 8 seed) and Virginia Tech (No. 9 seed) in the bracket projections.
Iowa State is one of two Big 12 Conference teams that Xavier will face this season. XU visits Oklahoma State on Dec. 5 as part of the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Xavier is 3-1 vs. Big 12 teams over the past four seasons, including 2020-21 (99-77 win over Oklahoma), 2019-20 (67-59 win at TCU), 2018-19 (78-76 overtime loss at Texas) and 2017-18 (76-63 win over Baylor).
Tickets for the NIT Season Tip-Off at Barclays Center start at $29 per day and are on-sale now. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or BarclaysCenter.com, or in-person at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Fans can receive $10 off on certain price levels by using the promo code "BROOKLYN" through Friday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET.
The NIT Season Tip-Off has been played in New York City since 1985 and this fall marks the sixth year the tournament will be held at Barclays Center. XU, which played in the preseason NIT in 1988 and 2002, has not played at Barclays Center since the 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament in XU's final season as an A-10 member. The 2020 NIT Season Tip-Off was canceled due to COVID-19.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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