Riding the wave of its first America East Men's Basketball Championship and its first trip to the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, the University of Vermont will enjoy another "first" at the start of the 2003-04 season. The Catamounts have been selected for the 16-team Owens Corning Preseason NIT.
It marks the third-straight year America East has placed a team in the nation's premier early-season tournament. Boston University dropped a 61-57 decision at Stanford to start the 2002-03 season. Maine played at Arkansas to tip-off the 2001-02 year.
Vermont (21-12) is coming off its second-straight 20-win season. The Catamounts will become only the second team in NCAA Division I history (joining Lafayette in 1999-2000 when the Leopards featured 1998 Patriot League Player of the Year Stefan Ciosici and 1999 Player of the Year Brian Ehlers) to have two former conference Players of the Year playing on the same team for an entire season. Guard T.J. Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./St. Raphael's Academy), who was the 2002 America East Player of the Year after scoring 18.8 ppg, returns with junior eligibility after a season off due to injury (broken bones in both wrists) to join 2003 Player of the Year Taylor Coppenrath, who led America East with 20.1 ppg this past year. America East Championship Most Outstanding Player Matt Sheftic, who averaged 10.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg last season, also returns.
Texas Tech, Connecticut, Georgia Tech and Utah headline the group of teams selected for the Preseason NIT. The Huskies advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 while the Red Raiders have advanced to the semifinals of the 2003 Owens Corning NIT at Madison Square Garden.
Davidson, Georgia State, Hofstra, Louisiana-Lafayette, Marist, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri-Kansas City, Nevada, St. Francis (N.Y.) and Yale round out the field.
First round games begin November 17. The semifinals and final are at Madison Square Garden during Thanksgiving weekend. Sites and pairings for the event will be announced later.