The 2011 CBI Championship begins on Monday as the Oregon Ducks and Creighton Bluejays face-off in a best of three game series. Unlike the NIT and NCAA Tournament, the CBI features a series for the championship, with the two finalists trading home courts. Creighton has the hosting duties on Monday, with Oregon hosting the second and, if necessary, third games on Wednesday and Friday.
Oregon made its way through the CBI bracket with wins over Weber State, Dusquesne and Boise State, all at Matt Court in Eugene. The Ducks breezed through the first round with a 68-59 win over Weber State before hanging on for a 77-75 win over Dusquesne in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Oregon took down Boise State, 79-71, to advance to the championship series.
Creighton rolled through the CBI with wins over San Jose State, Davidson and UCF, taking each game by 10 points or more. In the first round, the Bluejays secured an 85-74 win over San Jose State, followed by a 102-92 win over Davidson to advance to the semifinals. Marcus Jordan and Central Florida proved to be no problem for the Bluejays in the semifinals as Creighton breezed to an 82-64 win to advance to the finals.
The CBI finals tip-off on Monday night at 5 p.m. as Oregon and Creighton hit the hardwood in Omaha on HDNet. For more on the game, head on over to SB Nation’s Oregon blog, Addicted to Quack. Check out the full CBI bracket and stay with our 2011 CBI StoryStream for the latest on the tournament.