SAN FRANCISCO – The excitement of post-season college basketball is returning to the Hilltop!  The University of San Francisco men's basketball team is pleased to announce it has accepted an invitation to play in the College Basketball Invitational.
 
The Dons will host Colgate on Wednesday, Mar. 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the first round of the CBI.  This is the 26^th time the Dons have played in a post-season tournament and the third time USF has participated in the CBI, the last time was in 2017.

"We are incredibly thankful for this opportunity, it is truly an honor to represent USF in the post-season," said head coach Kyle Smith.  "The energy and excitement of post season basketball is very special and we can't wait to have it come home to War Memorial at the Sobrato Center."
 
Wednesday's game marks just the sixth time the Dons will host a post season game at the famed War Memorial Gym. The last time USF hosted a post season game was on Mar. 19, 2014 when the Dons hosted LSU. 
 
The Dons enter the tournament with an 18-15 overall record.  According to ESPN.com, the Dons' strength of schedule is 89, the only team in the WCC with a top-100 strength of schedule.  USF's non-conference strength of schedule is also tops in the conference, ranked 50^th in the nation.  Only Pacific had a non-conference strength of schedule south of 100 in the WCC.  The Dons are one of two WCC teams with a top-25 RPI win, thanks in part to USF's win over Nevada on Dec. 23 in Las Vegas.
 
By taking the Dons to the post season for the second consecutive season, Coach Smith enters elite company.  In USF's storied history, only four other coaches have taken the Dons to the post season in back-to-back years in their first season at the helm, they are Bob Gaillard, Phil Vukicevich, Dan Belluomini, and Pete Barry.
 
If the Dons can get two more wins, Smith will have led the Dons to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since USF did it in 1981 and again in '82.  
 
Be sure to follow the Dons on twitter @USFDonsMBB and check the men's basketball page for up to the minute schedule updates.  For tickets, be sure to visit Dons Ticket Central.