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According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Virginia has been tabbed for the 2017 NIT Season Tip-Off, one of the nation’s premier preseason basketball tournaments.
Virginia, Vanderbilt, Seton Hall, and Rhode Island will headline the 2017 Preseason NIT, per multiple sources.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 7, 2016
Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, and Seton Hall will also be participating in the event, according to Rothstein. Vanderbilt and Seton Hall finished last season at No. 25 and No. 29 on KenPom, respectively. Rhode Island was all the way down at No. 82, but are projected to have a very good 2016-2017 season and are No. 20 in ESPN’s preseason Top 25.
Based on this year’s NIT Season Tip-Off, you can expect the Hoos to play Thursday, November 23 (yes, Thanksgiving) and Friday, November 24, if the event replicates its current scheduling.
Formerly known as the Preseason NIT, this year’s NIT Season Tip-Off will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and is headlined by West Virginia, Florida State, Illinois and Temple. Though the tournament was previously set up as a bracketed event similar to the postseason NIT, now the event is only a four-team classic event. The teams are not expected to be announced officially until next summer.
The Hoos, who have won three early season challenges/tournaments, play in the Emerald Coast Classic this season (November 25 and 26). Virginia’s 2016-2017 campaign tips off November 11 with a road game at UNC-Greensboro.
Stay with Streaking the Lawn as we will have all your basketball coverage needs as we get closer to tip-off!