As Navy was running away with the Patriot League regular-season title, the Midshipmen set their sights on reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
But after suffering a stunning upset in the Patriot League tournament on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Navy (26-7) has settled for a bid in the NIT.
The unseeded Midshipmen will play No. 1 seed Wake Forest (17-16) Wednesday in Winston-Salem, N.C.
After winning more games than any Navy team since the days of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson (1983-87), the high hopes of the Midshipmen came crashing down in the conference semifinals with a 73-72 loss to Boston University.
The Midshipmen look to recover behind Patriot League Player of the Year Austin Benigni (18.0 points, 4.4 assists per game) and conference Defensive Player of the Year Aidan Kehoe (15.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg).
“Our players have worked incredibly hard and take great pride in representing the USNA, our program and our country,” Patriot League Coach of the Year Jon Perry said in a statement. “We are thankful for the chance to continue playing as a team.”
Perry, an assistant last year when Navy went 15-19, used mostly the same starting five this year. The Midshipmen showed remarkable composure winning eight straight games decided by single-digit margins before their tournament defeat.
Wake Forest, which is one of four power-conference schools to accept a bid to the NIT, has had an uneven season, never winning more than three straight games.
The Demon Deacons knocked off a higher-seeded Virginia Tech team in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last week before falling to Clemson 71-62 in the second round.
Wake Forest’s appearance in the NIT is its third in the last five years under Steve Forbes, who expressed his desire to play in the tournament after the Clemson loss.
“They want to play. I like that about them,” Forbes said. “They like playing. They like each other. I like coaching them.”
Juke Harris (21.3 ppg), who is likely to enter the NBA Draft, is the third-leading scorer in the ACC and leads the Demon Deacons in rebounds (6.5 rpg) and steals (1.3 spg).
Wake Forest also has double-digit scorers in Myles Colvin (11.6 ppg), Tre’Von Spillers (10.8 ppg) and Nate Calmese (10.5 ppg).
The Midshipmen and Demon Deacons have one common opponent. Wake Forest topped American in its season opener 88-74, while Navy split its season series with the Eagles.
–Field Level Media
