MAC Sports Blog by VanDelay Sports

For the second year in a row, a new postseason college basketball tournament will be played at the conclusion of the 2009 conference tournaments. Just after the announcement of the NCAA and NIT Tournament teams, the innagural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament will be held with 16 more teams getting a chance to continue their season and play for a championship.

Of course it was last year when the CBI Tournament made it’s debut featuring two MAC teams, Ohio and Miami. The Bobcats won their first round CBI game at home over Brown before falling on the road @ Bradley, the eventual runner-up. Meanwhile Miami played on the road at Tulsa and loss to the eventual CBI Champion Golden Hurricane.

With the addition of the CIT Tournament, expect to see additional MAC teams get a chance to continue play in 2009. While the media coverage of the CIT Tournament will likely be poor, much like last year’s CBI Tournament, itdoes allow for teams to have an opportunity to get tournament experience and hopefully build for the future.

Everyone knows that Florida State is a tough team to beat at home, but the Akron Zips defied the odds last night in the NIT Tournament. Akron knocked off Florida State 65-60 in OT last night to advance in the 2008 NIT as the Zips will be one of just 16 teams remaining for the NIT Championship. Meanwhile, the Ohio Bobcats were also given the opportunity to continue their season as they hosted Brown in the CBI Tournament on Tuesday night. Ohio trailed at the half but came back in the second half for a 80-74 win to advance as one of the final eight teams in the inaugural CBI Basketball Tournament.

After watching a 26-7 Akron team not make any postseason tournament in 2007, Kent State’s MAC Championship win may have concerned some MAC fans. However, as the Golden Flashes head to the NCAA Tournament again in 2008, they are not the only MAC team playing in a postseason tournament. The Akron Zips were chosen as a #6 seed in the NIT and will face #3 Florida State on the FSU campus while Ohio and Miami were chosen in the new CBI Tournament. The Bobcats will host Ivy League runner-up Brown in Athens in the CBI’s first round while Miami hits the road without Michael Bramos to face Tulsa.

The Golden Flashes received a #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and as a result will face #8 UNLV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with the winner likley facing #1 Kansas in the second round. College Sports Fans has released their Kent State 2008 NCAA Tournament preview. Follow all of the 2008 MAC teams in postseason tournaments online as VanDelay Sports will be following all four MAC programs and providing score and schedule updates.