Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: LOOKING AHEAD: PRESEASON NIT Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 16:56:27 EST Message-ID: \SE C;SPORTS;SPORTS BAZAAR;THE QUICK READ \HD LOOKING AHEAD: PRESEASON NIT Although most college basketball teams aren't permitted to begin play until Dec. 1 this year, the march towards March Madness begins this week with the 16-team preseason National Invitation Tournament. Among first-round games at campus sites on Wednesday will be a 9:35 p.m. tipoff in El Paso, Texas, between George Mason and Texas-El Paso. The two teams are coming off contrasting seasons - George Mason struggled through a 7-21 year and UTEP advanced to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 before losing to Cincinnati 69-67 and finishing with a 27-7 record. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise so far at George Mason practices has been the performance of guard Derek Shackelford. The 6-foot-3 senior missed the second half of last season with a mysterious virus that threatened to end his career. "We're very happy to see Shack back on the court looking like his old self," George Mason coach Ernie Nestor said. "There for a while earlier this year, we didn't think he'd be able to play again." In other first-round games on Wednesday, Murray State is at Indiana, Wagner plays at Tulane, Siena travels to Florida State, Indiana State goes to Iowa State and St. Louis visits UCLA. On Thursday, Delaware is at Seton Hall and Tennessee plays at Rutgers. The George Mason-UTEP winner will meet the St. Louis-UCLA survivor on Friday in one of three quarterfinals. The fourth quarterfinal is Saturday. The semifinals will be Nov. 25 and the championship Nov. 27, both at Madison Square Garden in New York. ****BOX NIT DATA * What: Preseason National Invitation Tournament. * Where: First-round and quarterfinal games at campus sites; semifinals and championship at Madison Square Garden, New York. * When: Wednesday through Nov. 27. * TV: ESPN. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM