No. 6 Seed Rider to Face No. 3 Seed Oregon in Opening Round of NIT
EDISON, NJ – Rider University (22-9) was tabbed a No. 6 seed in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and is set to face No. 3 seed University of Oregon (22-12). The opening round matchup is slated for Tuesday, March 13, at 10 p.m. (EST) on ESPN3 in Eugene, OR.
The Broncs are making their first NIT appearance since 1998 after they claimed the leagues’ automatic berth to the postseason tournament.
Rider (15-3 MAAC) earned a share of the 2017-18 MAAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season Championship. The Broncs captured their fourth MAAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season Championship in program history, and the first since 2007-08. They have shared all four of their Regular Season Titles; the most of any team in conference history.
Head coach Kevin Baggett was named The Rock MAAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year after he guided Rider to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2018 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship. Red-shirt freshman forward Frederick Scott took home the 2017-18 MAAC Sixth Player of the Year honor.
The Broncs recorded a league-high four student-athletes on All-MAAC Teams. Red-shirt freshman guard/forward Dimencio Vaughn (First Team), sophomore guard Stevie Jordan (Second Team), Scott (Third Team), and red-shirt freshman guard Jordan Allen (Third Team, All-Rookie Team).
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.