By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The 2015-16 Tennessee Tech men's basketball team isn't ready to call it a season just yet, as the team accepted an invitation to participate in the inaugural Vegas 16 Basketball Tournament, Mar. 28-30, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., Tuesday afternoon, extending their fantastic season at least one more game.
The Golden Eagles are set to face off against Old Dominion in the first-ever Vegas 16 contest, kicking off the tournament action with a 2 p.m. CT (12:00 p.m. PT) tip on Monday, Mar. 28, live on CBS Sports Network.
"It's always an honor to play in the postseason, but we needed it to be the right fit," head coach Steve Payne said. "And to be chosen for this inaugural event was a great fit. The timing of the tournament is perfect in that it allows us to return from spring break and still get in a couple of weeks of practice."
The Golden Eagles will compete in postseason play for the seventh time in program history and the first since the 2011-12 campaign, the team's first season under the direction of Coach Payne. Tennessee Tech appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1958 and 1963, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1985 and 2002, and the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) in 2011 and 2012.
"Playing in this tournament is certainly a reward for our players," Payne explained, "and they are very deserving of this opportunity. I know they're extremely excited about the chance to play again. It will certainly be a tough event. There are several very talented and deserving teams in the field and we're just looking forward to playing and competing."
The Golden Eagles finished the 2015-16 regular season at 19-10, including an incredible mark of 14-1 in the Eblen Center. Tech also wrapped up Ohio Valley Conference play at 11-5, the team's best mark since the 2010-11 season. The team fell to eventual OVC Tournament champion and NCAA Tournament representative Austin Peay in the first round of the league's postseason tournament.
"[Senior forward] Anthony Morse and I talked a little about it," Payne said. "A lot of times when your collegiate career is over and you've been away from the game for awhile, you have that urge to play again. You wish you could go back and play one more game. And now our seniors have that opportunity.
"I don't think it's an opportunity they're taking lightly. I know they're focused and excited, and the feedback I have from those guys is that they are pumped and ready to fight their way to a championship."
The Vegas 16 is a single-elimination, eight-team postseason basketball tournament, beginning with the quarterfinals on Monday, Mar. 28. The semifinals are slated for Tuesday, Mar. 29 with the title game scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 30. Every game of the tournament will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.
Included in the Vegas 16 field are six 20-plus win programs as well as the nation's top-scoring offense. The winner of the TTU-Old Dominion match-up would play the victor of the Northern Illinois-UC Santa Barbara tilt. The remaining four teams in the tournament field are Oakland, Towson, Louisiana Tech and East Tennessee State.
Tickets for the Vegas 16 are available now via Vegas16.com and the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office. Tickets are priced at $100, $50, $30, $22.50 and $15 per session, all-session ticket books are also available via Vegas16.com. Hotel packages for the tournament are also available via Vegas16.com.
Photo by Jim Dillon
