ASU Basketball: Sun Devils receive 5th seed in NIT, will face UConn in first round

After a loss to USC in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament, the Sun Devils were forced to cross their fingers and hope for a National Invitational Tournament bid. Sunday night, that wish came true. ASU received a No. 5 in the NIT and will face No. 4 seed University of Connecticut Huskies in the first round.

The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. PT tip-off Wednesday afternoon on ESPN2. The NIT plays its first and second round games at home venues. Since UConn is the higher seed, ASU will travel to Storrs, Connecticut. Although it shouldn't be an issue for the fast-paced Sun Devils, the NIT will utilize a 30-second shot clock throughout the tournament.

The winner of ASU and UConn will face the winner of the game between the No. 1 seed Richmond Spiders and No. 8 St. Francis.

The Huskies are the defending national champions, coached by Kevin Ollie. He was an assistant in 2011 under Jim Calhoun before taking over as head coach in 2012. UConn finished their season 20-14 (10-8) in the American Conference. UConn is highlighted by senior 6-foot guard Ryan Boatright who averaged 17.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game followed by sophomore guard Rodney Purvis who is averaging 10.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest.