The UNC Asheville men’s basketball team was to have made its debut in the National Invitational Tournament this past Tuesday night against Big 10 power and top-seeded Ohio State in a game televised nationally by ESPN2.

Because of production deadlines, the result of that game will appear in next week’s edition of the Daily Planet.

The Bulldogs (23-9) found out their post-season destination pretty quickly on Sunday night at an NIT Selection Party at Wild Wing Café in Asheville.

The first pairing shown was UNCA’s game with Ohio State (19-13). The winner of Tuesday’s game would play the winner of the California-New Mexico game that will be played tonight. The Bulldogs are an eighth seed.

Asheville is the first team ever from the Big South Conference to be selected to play in the NIT. Asheville was the co-regular season champion in the Big South, but earned the No. 1 seed with two wins over Winthrop. The Bulldogs won a school-record 23 games this season and advanced to the Big South title game before falling to Winthrop, 66-48.

“We are very excited about being in the NIT and this is a tremendous opportunity for our young men to play a team as rich in tradition as Ohio State,” UNCA coach Eddie Biedenbach said. “We were a little disappointed in losing the Big South Conference championship game (a 66-48 loss at home to Winthrop last Saturday) but we’re excited about getting into the nation’s oldest post-season tournament.”

This was the second meeting ever between the teams. The teams played in the 1993-94 season with the Buckeyes winning easily, 93-59.

UNCA is being led this season by senior guard Bryan Smithson with a 16.4 scoring average. Senior guard K.J. Garland is averaging 13.4 points per game and is the school’s all-time leader in assists with 513. 7-7 center Kenny George is at 12.4 points per game and leads the nation in field-goal percentage at 69 percent. 
 
Tickets for the Ohio State vs. UNC Asheville game in the opening round of the 2008 MasterCard National Invitation Tournament will go on sale at 11 a.m. Monday at the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office.

Tickets are $20 for a reserved seat and $10 for students. Orders will be taken online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com, at the Value City Arena ticket office or by calling 1-800-GO BUCKS. All tickets will be left at the ticket office will call windows for pickup. Only the person placing the ticket order will be permitted to pick up tickets.