March 14, 2011
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
2011 CBI presented by Zebra Pen Bracket in PDF Format
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team's successful season will continue in the postseason as the Knights have accepted an invitation to the 2011 CBI presented by Zebra Pen, where they will host St. Bonaventure Wednesday at the UCF Arena. Tipoff for the game, which will be televised nationally on HDNet, is 8 p.m.
The postseason bid is just the fifth for UCF since the school moved to the Division I level in 1984, and is the first at-large invitation for the Knights.
Under new head coach Donnie Jones, UCF is one of 16 squads competing in the CBI. Other teams that earned invitations included Creighton, Davidson, Oregon, Rhode Island and San Jose State. Six of the 16 teams that participated in the CBI a year ago garnered spots in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Tickets for Wednesday's first-round game at the UCF Arena will be available at Ticketmaster.com or UCFAthletics.com Monday morning at 8 a.m.
Season-ticket holders can log into their athletics ticket account at UCFAthletics.com, or call the athletics ticket office at (407) 823-1000, to reserve their seats.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to play in the postseason," Jones said. "Earning an invitation to the CBI is a major stride for our program. Our fans have been great all year long, and we look forward to seeing a packed house Wednesday when we play a very good St. Bonaventure team."
If the Knights top St. Bonaventure, they will meet the winner of the Miami (Ohio)-Rhode Island game on March 21.
St. Bonaventure went 16-14 overall in 2010-11, and posted an 8-8 mark in the Atlantic 10. The Bonnies picked up a signature win in December when they defeated host St. John's. UCF has never met St. Bonaventure on the hardwood.
In its fourth year, the CBI is a single-elimination tournament up until the championship series, with all games played at campus sites. The championship series is a best-of-three series.
UCF started the season in incredible fashion with 14-straight victories, and entered the national rankings for the first time program history in December. By participating in the CBI, UCF will have a shot at securing only the fifth 20-win season since the program moved to the D-I ranks.
UCF's 19 victories are the most since the 2006-07 season. The Knights had several signature victories during the campaign, including wins over No. 16 Florida, Miami, South Florida, UTEP and Southern Miss.
The team's top-two scorers - sophomores Marcus Jordan (Chicago, Ill.) and Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla.) - both earned All-Conference USA accolades. Jordan was selected to the All-C-USA Second Team, while Clanton was an all-league third team pick.
C-USA teams have enjoyed great success in the CBI, which is organized by The Gazelle Group. Tulsa claimed the inaugural title in 2008, and UTEP advanced to the championship series the following year.