Auburn will play Illinois State in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday, April 1. Auburn advanced after winning three NIT games over nine days and has used an eight-day break to rest before the matchup.
The upcoming game is significant as both teams aim for a spot in the NIT finals, with Auburn reaching the semifinals for the first time in program history. The Tigers and Redbirds have each defeated strong opponents to get to this stage.
“It’s good to still be playing basketball,” said Auburn coach Steven Pearl. “Excited about the opportunity to go up to Indy and play against another quality opponent on ESPN. A little bit of a wait to get to Thursday night but it’s been good for our guys to get their legs back and take a couple days off.” Pearl added that having extra rest was helpful for his team’s seven-man rotation: “It’s been really beneficial for our guys to have a little time off to get recharged for this last push.”
Illinois State reached its first NIT semifinal by defeating Kent State at home, then winning road games at Wake Forest and Dayton. Auburn secured its place by beating South Alabama, Seattle U, and Nevada—all at Neville Arena. Pearl said of Illinois State: “If you look at the resume of teams playing in the NIT, they by far have the best one, as far as the teams they’ve beaten. They have really good pieces and they’re playing their best basketball right now.”
Illinois State features one of the nation’s top defenses, ranked No. 37 nationally while allowing just 67.9 points per game. Pearl described them as “really good defensively,” adding: “They play hard. Try and make things difficult for you. They’ve very physical. They do a great job of limiting you to one shot.” He also highlighted Redbirds’ power forward Chase Walker as “an absolute handful underneath,” noting Walker’s scoring average of 13.7 points per game along with his rebounding ability.
Auburn’s starting lineup—Kevin Overton, Keyshawn Hall, Elyjah Freeman, Tahaad Pettiford, Filip Jovic—has remained consistent throughout all three tournament games with each player averaging double figures during this stretch.
The semifinal will tip off at 8:30 p.m Central Time on ESPN and can also be heard on Auburn Sports Network.
