SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 17, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) โ The college basketball season will continue for the Runnin’ Utes in the National Invitation Tournament.
Utah (19-14 overall, 9-11 Pac-12 Conference) will host UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) in the NIT’s first round at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Huntsman Center. The game will be televised by ESPN2.
The Utes missed out on an NCAA Tournament invitation following their 72-58 loss to Colorado in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
And while Utah coach Craig Smith and center Branden Carlson shared their disappointment about not getting invited to the Big Dance, the opportunity to open the NIT at home as the No. 2 seed certainly should soften the blow.
“I feel like this group will rally around itself and find a way to come out and put our best foot forward with the next challenge at hand,” Smith said following the Utes’ Pac-12 Tournament loss.
Carlson, a 7-foot, fifth-year senior, was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team for the second consecutive season and became the first player in school history to earn three All-Pac-12 honors.
The South Jordan native and former Bingham High School star had the best season of his collegiate career in 2023-24, leading the Utes in points (17.1), rebounds (6.8) and blocked shots (1.5) per game.
Carlson was joined on the all-conference teams by newcomer Deivon Smith, who was an honorable mention selection.
Smith, a 6-foot senior guard from Decatur, Georgia, averages 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and a team-high 6.7 assists per game. He posted three triple-doubles during Pac-12 play, becoming the first player in the conference to do so since Andre Iguodala in 2003-04.
UC Irvine was the No. 1 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament but lost 83-79 to eventual champion Long Beach State in the semifinals.
Utah has won all nine previous meetings with UC Irvine, including six in Salt Lake City. The last time the teams met was Dec. 27, 2008, when the Utes defeated the Anteaters 60-52 in Irvine, California.
Tickets for the NIT cost $20 for adults and $10 for students and youth in the lower bowl. Men’s basketball season ticket holders will have priority on seat selection until noon Monday.
For more information, call the Utah ticket office at 801-581-UTIX (8849). Tickets can also be purchased online.
