CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University men's basketball team has been selected to participate in The Basketball Classic, presented by ERACISM. The scheduled date and opponent for the Thunderbirds' first-round game will be announced by Monday. 

The Basketball Classic is a 32-team, single-elimination postseason tournament. First-round play will begin this week and the semifinals will take place on March 29, with the championship game scheduled for March 31. All games throughout the tournament will be available for streaming on ESPN+. Tournament play will be held at campus sites. 

"We are excited for the chance to play in the postseason," said SUU head coach Todd Simon. "After two COVID-19 impacted seasons, in which we accepted an invite in 2020 and lost our NIT automatic qualifier last season, we relish the opportunity to continue to compete among outstanding programs. To be able to compete and represent SUU with this group of young men is always special."

Simon has led Southern Utah in another strong season, reaching the 20-win mark for the second consecutive year, marking the first time in program history that this achievement has been reached. SUU will enter The Basketball Classic with an overall record of 20-11 this season, including a 14-6 mark in conference play, finishing second in the Big Sky. A first-round victory in the postseason tournament would prove to be the second-highest win total for a single season in program history.

The tournament appearance will represent Southern Utah's third postseason appearance in its Division I program history.

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