UTEP-Western Illinois Postseason Matchup Postponed to Saturday

The UTEP-Western Illinois first round matchup of The Basketball Classic postseason tournament has been pushed from a Tuesday tip to a Saturday afternoon contest due to travel issues within WIU.

The Miners were informed of their opponent on Monday, just a day before tip-off against the Leathernecks. The Tuesday contest was scheduled to tip off at 5pm and now the two look to face off at 1pm on Saturday because of the Ice Cube concert on Thursday at the Don Haskins Center.

UTEP finished the season 19-13 overall, as they search for their 20th win for the first time in seven years. Western Illinois went 16-15 in the Summit League under second-year head coach Rob Jeter. The program is undergoing its first winning season since 2013.

The Basketball Classic is a single-elimination tournament that will replace the former CIT postseason tournament. ESPN+ will televise all of the contests, while 600 ESPN El Paso will have all the radio coverage of the tournament. The tournament is expected to set matchups after each round.

Below are some of the first round matchups, according to their website. To note, there are a few UTEP ties among the field. Former Miner Kristian Sjolund (2020-21) transferred to Portland. Former Miner Deon Stroud (2019-20) plays for Fresno State. Former UTEP assistant coach Arturo Ormond is now a coach at Eastern Washington.

TUESDAY, MARCH 15