The field for the 2011 College Basketball Invitational has been set, and the CBI bracket is highlighted by Oregon, the University of Central Florida, James Madison, and a number of other teams that weren't quite good enough to make the NCAA Tournament (or NIT), but should make for some compelling matchups over the next few weeks.
The schedule begins on Tuesday, March 15, when James Madison will play at Davidson, San Jose State will play at Creighton, Austin Peay will play at Boise State, and Hofstra plays at Evansville.
On March 16, Duquesne plays at Montana; Weber State plays at Oregon, Miami (Ohio) plays at Rhode Island, and St. Bonaventure will play at UCF. You can download the full bracket here.
The CBI is still relatively new in the college hoops world, but if these teams couldn't make it to March Madness, then what's the downside of having some more hoops to enjoy? Past tournament winners have been Tulsa (2008), Oregon State (2009), and VCU (2010), and many teams in this year's CBI use the tournament as springboard to future success.
All the games will be broadcast on HDNet, and in total, there are 16 teams and four rounds, with the Championship game coming on April 1. Find out more at the CBI's official website here.