Courtesy BYU Photo

For some college basketball programs, Selection Sunday is the most exciting time of the season.

For others, it defines the end of the line.

The Utah Valley men’s basketball team has to get over the disappointment of giving away a 23-point lead in the Western Athletic Conference semifinals on Friday because the Wolverines are still playing: the Fighting Mark Madsens earned the automatic NIT bid from the WAC and will play on Wednesday against No. 3 seed New Mexico (22-11).

The BYU men’s basketball team, meanwhile, finished 19-15 and did not merit an NIT invite, meaning its season is over. The Cougars’ NET and Ken Pom ratings were on the bubble but a 2-11 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams probably did them in.

One of BYU’s West Coast Conference opponents, Santa Clara, did make the NIT field and will take on No. 2 seed Sam Houston of the WAC.

The BYU women’s basketball team, which finished 16-16 under first-year coach Amber Whiting, learned Sunday night it had been awarded an at-large spot in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Matchups will be announced on Monday. The Cougars, which made the NCAA Tournament in 2019, 2021 and 2022 (there was no tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic), are making their first foray into the WNIT since 2017.

The UVU-New Mexico men’s basketball matchup will tip at 8 p.m. MT on ESPN+. Utah Valley secured its third WAC regular season title in program history (2014, 2021, 2023) and its second in the last three years under head coach Mark Madsen. Utah Valley finished atop the WAC standings with an 15-3 record. The 25 wins are tied for the most wins in UVU history. The Wolverines will head into postseason play with a 25-8 overall record and an NCAA NET rating of 74. UVU also holds a KenPom ranking of 80. The NIT selection is the second in school history as the Wolverines earned the WAC’s bid into the 2014 NIT where it dropped a 77-64 decision at California. The NIT will be Utah Valley’s sixth overall appearance in a postseason national tournament. UVU has also made three appearances in the CBI (2017, 2018, 2019) and one in the CIT (2012).

Other post-season bids of note: WCC champion Gonzaga (28-5) is a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play WAC Tournament champ Grand Canyon in the West Region on Friday. Saint Mary’s, which tied Gonzaga for the WCC regular-season title, is a No. 5 seed and will play No. 12 VCU on Friday in the West Region.

Utah State (26-8) earned an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed and will take on No. 7 Missouri in the South Region on Thursday.

The Gonzaga women (28-4), which won the regular-season title in the WCC, is a No. 9 seed and will play No. 8 Ole Miss in the Seattle Regional on Friday in the NCAA Tournament. Portland (23-8), which upset Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament title game, will face No. 5 Oklahoma in the Greenville Regional on Saturday.

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