It’s the second consecutive post-season tournament appearance for the Chippewas, who played in the NIT last season. CMU is 17-15 and coming off its second straight Mid-American Conference West Division title. UT Martin (19-14) shared the West Division title in the Ohio Valley Conference.
“It’s been our goal as a team and as a program to play . . .
It marks the first time in program history that CMU has appeared in back-to-back Division I postseason tournaments. The last time the Chippewas hosted a tourney game was in 1970, the Division II Great Lakes Regional.
If CMU wins on Wednesday, it advances to a second-round game. It has not been determined whether that game will played in Mount Pleasant.
Wednesday’s game could be the last at McGuirk for four Chippewa seniors – Chris Fowler, Rayshawn Simmons, John Simons and Austin Stewart. That quartet has been the core of the resurgent program under fourth-year coach Keno Davis.
In 2014-15, they delivered CMU’s first MAC regular-season title in more than a decade, and the NIT berth last season was the program’s first postseason berth since 2003.
“This group has accomplished so much and to be able to be in front of your fans, those that have supported the program when postseason play wasn’t even in the conversation, and to be able to have a home game, is exciting for our players and for our fans and students alike to be able to appreciate what this group has accomplished,” Davis said. “This group has set a standard for what CMU basketball is going to be in the future.”