Editor: The following is part of a press release from goredbirds.com
(Daytona Beach, FL) – The Illinois State men’s basketball will continue into the postseason for the first time since the 2016-17 season, as the program has accepted a bid to play in the 17th College Basketball Invitational (CBI) presented by Purple.
“We’re very excited to accept this bid to play in the CBI,” said head coach Ryan Pedon. “Having the ability to extend our season is a great thing for our program for a multitude of reasons. First, it will give our players an opportunity to play more basketball together. The chemistry in our program is very special, and this tournament will provide another shared experience for the group. Secondly, being invited to play postseason basketball represents growth for our program. It has been nine seasons since we have been invited to play in a postseason tournament. I am thankful to our administration for their support and we look forward to representing our school and conference in Daytona Beach.”
The 2025 CBI will be a single-elimination, fully-bracketed men’s basketball postseason tournament featuring 16 teams from across the country competing for a championship in Florida. The field will consist of teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament. The tournament will have its opening rounds on March 22 and 23, the quarterfinals on March 24, the semifinals on March 25, and the championship on March 26.
The Redbirds will find out the bracket including their first opponent in the tournament on Sunday, March 16.
With a 19-14 overall record, the Redbirds have the most wins in a season since 2016-17, and the third-most wins in a season over the last 12 years.
The last post-season tournament for ISU was in the 2016-17 season where the squad competed in the NIT. The 2013-14 Redbird team also competed in the CBI, winning a pair of games over Morehead State and Texas A&M before falling to Siena. The following year – in 2014-15 – the team advanced to the NIT after falling in the Arch Madness Championship game.
Tickets for the 2025 College Basketball Invitational went on sale at Ticketmaster.com on January 20th. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the Ocean Center box office on CBI game days.
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Flooding, lightning strikes, etc. have cost @RacersHoops two home games. Had to play 'neutral site' tonight instead of at home and Wednesday's goes from home to away. Tough break for the Racers, and the whole area has been hit with difficulties. #FatherHarry
Murray State's scheduled home game Wednesday vs. Southern Illinois being moved to Banterra Center in Carbondale. #ValleyHoops
Gigantic game for @BradleyUMBB today in Des Moines. If they have a chance to catch @DrakeBulldogsMB, they have to win today. The Bulldogs can basically win the title today. @BustingBrackets breaks it all down. #FatherHarry https://bit.ly/3EGiVgi
Not rooting for any particular @ValleyHoops, but chaos is always fun. If things break certain ways, after today there could be a six-way tie for fifth place.
Fun to listen to @MLBLarry on the @SIU_Basketball/@BelmontMBB game tonight. Good job brother. #FatherHarry
