Spurned by NIT, Weber State prepares for Utah Valley

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Perspective is everything when it comes to Tuesday night's CollegeInsider.com Tournament matchup between host Weber State and Utah Valley.

Weber State (24-6) expected an NIT bid. The committee, however, went for sexy names from larger conferences than the Big Sky. The Wildcats' power rating (70) is higher than nearly half the NIT field, including the likes of Stanford (96) and Iowa (132), teams that finished in the middle of their respective conferences.

Meanwhile, Utah Valley (20-12), which only became eligible for NCAA postseason play a few years ago, is jumping for joy at its first ever tournament bid, which tips off at 7 p.m. in the Dee Events Center.

"This marks a monumental day for our men's basketball program and our athletic department as a whole," UVU athletics director Mike Jacobsen said. "To have an opportunity to play in the postseason is our goal, and for the first time we will get that chance. This is wonderful for our players and coaches, fans, students and university community."

For WSU coach Randy Rahe, he is confident that his team can overcome the disappointment of not going to the NIT.

"I trust my guys," he said. "They want to compete."

martyr@sltrib.com UTAH VALLEY at WEBER STATE

Tuesday in the Dee Events Center, Ogden.

Tipoff • 7 p.m.

TV • none

Radio • 1280 AM

Records • UVU 20-12, WSU 24-6

All-time series • Tied 2-2

Last meeting • WSU, 69-62 (Dec. 28, 2005)

About the Wolverines • UVU won 13 consecutive games this season....The Wolverines were 1-1 against the Big Sky this season, beating Portland State and losing at Montana.....Senior guard Isiah Williams leads the Wolverines in scoring at 16.1 points per game.

About the Wildcats • Damian Lillard was the USWBA District VIII Player of the Year and Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player.... Lillard ranks second in the nation in scoring at 24.5 points per game.