Alabama to host NIT opening-round game, interim coach yet to be named

Alabama Basketball G30 vs Ole Miss

Alabama guard Levi Randolph (20) draws a foul from Ole Miss forward Sebastian Saiz (11) during Alabama's SEC basketball game with Ole Miss, Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2015, at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com ORG XMIT: ALBIN401 (VASHA HUNT)

Alabama's without a head coach, but its season isn't over.

The Crimson Tide was selected to the 32-team NIT field just hours after Anthony Grant was fired as the head coach.

Alabama will play host to Illinois at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday in the opening round on ESPN.

The Tide (18-14) is the No. 6 seed in its region, but will host since No. 3 seed Illinois' arena is being renovated.

Who will coach the Tide on Tuesday? That has not been announced as of Sunday evening. A news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, but an Alabama release said the attendees will be announced in the morning.

Reggie Minton, acting chair of the NIT selection committee, said Alabama is committed to play in the tournament as far as he knows.

"We had them in the NIT before we learned Anthony had lost his job," Minton said live on ESPNU. "We thought they were deserving. That's why they got there."

Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday on Alabama's website or by calling 205-348-2262. Court-side seats cost $10, adult general admission passes are $9, under 18 it's $4. Alabama students, who are on spring break this week, get in for $4.

The Illini is 19-13 this season after losing five of the last seven games. Michigan eliminated Illinois from the Big Ten tournament with a 73-55 beating March 12 in Chicago.Rayvonte Rice is the team's leading scorer averaging 16.7 points plus 6.5 rebounds a game.

The winner gets the survivor of the Miami/NC Central game.

Alabama hasn't played Illinois since the 1996 NIT when it won72-69 on the road. The Tide reached the semifinals before losing to St. Joseph's.

This will be Alabama's 13th NIT appearance, the second in three years.

Click bracket to enlarge.Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

Source: http://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/index.ssf/2015/03/alabama_to_host_nit_opening-ro.html