For the teams that missed both the NCAA Tournament and NIT, there's still options this year. The CBI is one such option and scoops up the leftovers, allowing teams that weren't quite up to snuff to receive postseason experience. Two such teams hail from around the area as the Oregon Ducks and Boise State Broncos will both open play in the CBI this week.
Oregon had a surprising year after being picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10. The Ducks finished seventh in the conference and put together two wins in the Pac-10 Tournament -- over Arizona State in the first round and an upset win over UCLA in the quarterfinals. The Ducks host Weber State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on HD Net.
Boise State also has hosting duties and will face Austin Peay in the first round on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Like the Oregon game, HD Net has the broadcasting duties.
Here's the relevant information on the CBI Tournament.
Format: Unlike the NIT and NCAA Tournaments, the CBI employs a different format. In the CBI, teams pay for the right to host games and the finals of the tournament are a best of three series.
Bracket: The full CBI bracket can be found here, at the Gazelle Group website.
Schedule: The first round takes place on March 15 and 16, with the whole second round played on March 21. The semifinals take place on March 23 and the final series will be played from March 28 to April 1.
TV Information: HDNet has the broadcasting duties and will air select games in the first round and all the semifinal and final round matchups.
For more on the Oregon and Boise State, check out Addicted to Quack and One Bronco Nation Under God.