March 12, 2006

HACKENSACK, NJ - The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball team will make its' second National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance in program history on Tuesday, March 14 at Manhattan in the opening round, with the winner advancing to play Maryland (18-10) on March 18.

The Jaspers are 18-10 this season and went 14-4 in the MAAC. Manhattan fell to St. Peter's, 84-74, in the MAAC semifinals.

The Knights' (20-11) first appearance was in 1991, when the Knights ended a 22-9 season with a 90-85 loss to Siena in the first round of the NIT.

The Knights posted an 18-10 overall record during the regular season, on the strength of an 11-game winning streak that ranked fourth in the nation, as the Knights bounced back from two back-to-back conference losses in Connecticut and did not drop a game from Jan. 20 to Feb. 18. The Knights finished first in the NEC with a 14-4 mark, earning the program's fourth regular season title. The Knights' 14 conference wins are a team record and the most accumulated since joining the league.

The Knights defeated eighth-seeded Quinnipiac, 66-65, on March 2 and rolled past Robert Morris, 71-55, on March 5 to reach the final game of the NEC Tournament, but fell to Monmouth in the NEC Championship game, 49-48, on March 8. The Knights clinched the regular season NEC title and home court advantage throughout the playoffs when they defeated Monmouth, 79-62, on Monday, Feb. 27.

FDU leads the league in scoring with 74.2 points per game, field goal percentage (.456) and assists (15.77 apg). The Knights lead the league and tie with Syracuse to rank eighth in the country with 6.39 blocks per game.

The NIT, which for the first time was selected by an at-large committee, is comprised of a 40-team field from across the country.

The Postseason NIT will tip off on March 14 with opening-round play on campus sites. Second-round action commences on March 17 and the quarterfinals begin on March 21.

Continuing with a tradition now in its 69th year, the championship round will take place in New York's Madison Square Garden with the semifinal doubleheader on March 28 and the championship game on March 30.

The selection committee, all former Division I men's basketball head coaches, is comprised of Hall of Famers Newton and Dean Smith, along with Don DeVoe, Reggie Minton, Jack Powers, and Carroll Williams.