The University of Evansville is confident enough about its chances of playing in next week's College Basketball Invitational presented by Zebra Pen that head coach Marty Simmons has called the players back from spring break to resume practice on Friday.  

Should UE be chosen to play in the CBI and host a first round game, it would most likely take place Tuesday night at the Physical Activities Center (PAC) on the University of Southern Indiana campus.  Roberts Stadium is not available next week because of Disney On Ice.  Pairings for the 16-team CBI will be announced Sunday night.  First-round games take place Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by quarterfinals March 21 and semifinals March 23.  Once the semifinals are completed, the CBI becomes a best two-out-of-three tournament, with games March 28, March 30, and if necessary, April 1. HD Net, which reaches 23 million homes, will televise four opening round games, two quarterfinal games, both semifinals, and all games in the finals.

This is the fourth year for the CBI.  Past champions include Tulsa in 2008, Oregon State in 2009 and Virginia Commonwealth last year. One team from the Missouri Valley Conference has played in the CBI each year, including tournament runnerup Bradley in 2008, Wichita State in 2009 and Indiana State last year.  Others in the 2010 field included Akron, Boston University, Charleston, Colorado State, Duquesne, Eastern Kentucky, George Washington, Green Bay, Hofstra, IUPUI, Morehead State, Princeton and Saint Louis.

Here’s a brief look at the Aces’ accomplishments in 2010-11.  They are 15-15 this season, and finished 9-9 in the MVC.

•Finished four places higher than predicted in the MVC, in sixth place

•Swept regular season series vs. MVC Tourney champ Indiana State

•Defeated MVC regular season champion Missouri State

•Beat #23 ranked Butler, ending Butler's 14-game homecourt win streak

•9-9 MVC record was Evansville's best since 2000-01

•All-MVC and NABC All-District Player Colt Ryan, the league's #3 scorer

•MVC All-Bench Team member Ned Cox

•MVC Scholar-Athlete Pieter van Tongeren

•Marty Simmons fourth in MVC Coach of the Year voting