Titans Are Set to Play in NIT

Cal State Fullerton accepted Sunday a bid to make its third appearance in the NIT men’s postseason tournament.

The Titans (19-10) will play an opening-round game at Oregon State (17-14) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“I haven’t been at Fullerton that long, but I have to think that it means a lot to the school,” second-year Coach Bob Burton said. “Hopefully it shows we’re going in the right direction. I’m real excited. It’s just great for our program.

“Everything’s been so exciting at the end here. Hopefully this can carry over into next [season].”

The game is among eight opening-round contests in the 40-team NIT. The winner between the Titans and Beavers will move on to the 32-team first round and will face Denver or San Francisco.

Fullerton tied for third place in the Big West Conference, then reached the semifinals of the conference tournament before losing to eventual champion Utah State, 84-77.

The Beavers are making their first NIT appearance since 1987. It is their first postseason bid since 1990. Oregon State finished fifth in the Pacific 10 Conference with an 8-10 record, and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament.

The Beavers and Titans did not play any common opponents this season. The two schools have played once, the Beavers’ season opener in 2000-01. Oregon State won, 68-35, at home.

Both of Fullerton’s previous NIT appearances also were at Pac-10 schools.

The Titans lost by four points to Byron Scott and Arizona State at Tempe, Ariz., in 1983 and by four points in overtime to Kevin Johnson and California at Berkeley in 1987.

It is Oregon State’s fourth appearance in the NIT. The Beavers were 3-3 in three previous tournaments. Five of the six games were played in Gill Coliseum.

The Beavers lost in the first round in 1979 and reached the third round in 1983 and the second round in 1987.

The NIT semifinals are March 29 at Madison Square Garden and the final is March 31 at the same venue.

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Idaho men’s Coach Leonard Perry said he has turned down Tim Floyd’s offer to become an assistant coach at USC.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m committed to turning [Idaho] around,” Perry said by phone from his home in Moscow.

Perry and Floyd, a former Idaho coach, have known one another for 20 years.

Perry, 36, has a 44-72 record in four years at Idaho in his first head coaching job. He signed a four-year contract last year. The Vandals finished 8-22 this season and will leave the Big West for the Western Athletic Conference next season.

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Shawn Finney was fired after five seasons as men’s coach at Tulane.

“We are certainly appreciative of the hard work Shawn and his staff have done,” Athletic Director Rick Dickson said in a statement. “He started with only seven scholarship players his first year and has built the program back to full strength.”

Finney was 60-86 with the Green Wave, including 10-18 this season. He had one winning season and failed to take Tulane to postseason play.

Finney, 42, was an assistant at Kentucky when he was hired in 2000 to replace Perry Clark, who moved on to Miami. He was signed to a five-year deal.

“I have had a great experience, met some wonderful people and made some great friends,” Finney said in a statement issued by the college. “I wish Tulane the best of luck; now I am looking forward to my next coaching opportunity.”

Under Finney, Tulane had a 24-56 record in conference play.

* NIT PAIRINGS, D8