How to watch Utah play UC Irvine in NIT first round

UC Irvine (24-9) at No. 2 seed Utah (19-14)

NIT first round

Tip: Tuesday, 9 p.m. MDT.

Venue: Huntsman Center.

TV: ESPN2.

Livestream: Watch ESPN.

Radio: 700 AM.

Series: Utah leads, 9-0. The teams haven’t played since 2008 and the Utes have beaten the Anteaters in all six of their previous meetings in Salt Lake City, most recently in 2007.

The trends

For Utah: The Runnin’ Utes (19-14) are making their first appearance in a national postseason tournament since 2018, when Utah made it all the way to the championship game in the NIT. The Utes are 4-6 in their last 10 games but are 14-2 at the Huntsman Center this season.

For UC Irvine: The Anteaters (24-9) are making their second straight appearance in the NIT. Last year, UC Irvine lost at Oregon 84-58 in the tournament’s first round. UC Irvine won the Big West regular-season title this season before losing its chance at an NCAA Tournament berth when the Anteaters lost to Long Beach State in the Big West tournament semifinals.

Quotable

“I think that’s a big thing in postseason play is just having your mind in the right place, ready to compete and have a fighting spirit. There was never a doubt in my mind, what I felt like we should do. I think it’s important to play anytime to help your program, to help your individual players keep getting better. It’s hard to simulate games, but there’s also a championship to be won. And so I did talk to all the guys and a common theme I kept consistently hearing from guys is we want to play, this is the closest-knit team, most together team I’ve ever experienced. And we just want to keep this thing rolling and want to play for each other and see what we can do.” — Utah coach Craig Smith.

The stakes

For Utah: The Utes, as a No. 2 seed, could potentially host as many as three games at the Huntsman Center. While Utah will lose guys like Branden Carlson and Cole Bajema, whose eligibility will be exhausted at season’s end — and potentially others who choose not to use a free COVID-19 year or decide to transfer — making a return to the postseason is a net positive for a program that’s in need of more postseason tournament experience among its ranks.

For UC Irvine: Whether it’s been the NCAA Tournament, the NIT or the CIT, the Anteaters have become national postseason regulars since Russell Turner took over as head coach in 2010. UC Irvine, though, has gone on a deep run just once, as runners-up in the CIT during the 2015-16 season, and are looking to make an extended stay in the NIT this year.

Players to watch

For Utah: Carlson, the fifth-year senior and face of the Utes program, had a memorable 30-point, 10-rebound, four-block outing when Utah won its regular-season home finale back on March 2. This first-round game gives the South Jordan native another chance to shine in front of the home crowd, and potentially more if they can keep winning. Gabe Madsen was also honored during Senior Night but could return if he utilizes a free COVID-19 year, while Deivon Smith has flourished after taking over starting point guard duties.

For UC Irvine: The Anteaters like to utilize their bench — they have 11 players who average double-digit minutes. Leading that group is all-Big West first-teamer Pierre Crockrell II, who averages 7.9 points and 6.4 assists per game. He ranked 26th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.94. Justin Hohn leads UC Irvine in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game, and was named the Big West’s Best Defensive Player.