Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team has received an invitation to play in the 2023 Discount Tire College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The announcement was made by head coach A.W. Hamilton, who expressed his excitement about the team’s second national postseason tournament invitation in the last four seasons.
The tournament will feature 16 teams and will be held at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, from March 18-22. The first and second rounds of the tournament will be televised on FloHoops, while the semifinals and finals will air live on ESPN2. The complete bracket for the tournament will be released on Sunday.
The Colonels have had a successful season so far, with a record of 20-13. This is the second 20-win season for the team in the last three years. The team advanced to the semifinals of the ASUN Conference Tournament, making it the third time in the last four seasons that the program has reached the conference semifinals.
The first round of the CBI games will be held on March 18-19, followed by the quarterfinals on March 20. The semifinals and finals will be held on March 21 and 22, respectively. Fans can purchase tickets for the tournament at TicketMaster.com.
This will be EKU’s second appearance in the CBI, with their previous appearance being in 2010, when they fell to the College of Charleston by three points in the opening round. The team has also made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including a near-upset of No. 2 seed Kansas in 2014. In addition, the program played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2013 and 2015, winning two games and reaching the quarterfinals in 2015.
This year’s EKU team is among the top 50 teams in the nation in scoring, with an average of 77.4 points per game. They are also fifth in the NCAA in rebounds, averaging 40.27 rebounds per game. The team ranks second in offensive rebounds, with an average of 13.70 per game, 22nd in blocks with an average of 4.8 per game, and 43rd in steals with an average of 8.1 per game. The Colonels have blocked 11 shots in a game twice this season, breaking the program’s single-season record.
In conclusion, EKU’s men’s basketball team has received a great opportunity to showcase their talents in the 2023 Discount Tire College Basketball Invitational. With their impressive season record and strong team statistics, they will undoubtedly put up a great fight in the tournament. Fans and supporters can look forward to an exciting few days of basketball in Daytona Beach, Florida, and will be eagerly awaiting the announcement of the complete bracket on Sunday.