Rebs in the Semi's...of the NIT

Yeah, yeah, it's the NIT and not the NCAA Tournament. Big deal. The Rebs are still playing basketball and that sure beats sitting at home. We have a young team and this will be a great benefit for these guys down the road. I bet we make the big dance next season with these guys. Anyway, here is the bit from the Rebel website. .......

For the second time in the last three seasons, Ole Miss is making a trip to the National Invitation Tournament Final Four, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Ole Miss, a No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 seed Dayton in the first semifinal matchup on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

A limited number of tickets for the Ole Miss section are available at $45 apiece through the Ole Miss ticket office (662-915-7167).

Fans can also purchase tickets through the Madison Square Garden box office via Ticketmaster (866-858-0008 or ticketmaster.com). Those prices range from $10 to $60. For additional information on Madison Square Garden, visit thegarden.com.

The Ole Miss Alumni Association is hosting a pre-game pep rally Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. at Legends at 6 West 33rd Street, which is 1.5 blocks east of Madison Square Garden. The event will be held again Thursday should the Rebels advance to the championship game.

The Rebels boast a 24-10 record and have beaten Troy, Memphis and Texas Tech to advance to the semifinals of the 73rd annual NIT. The 24 wins are tied for the second-most in school history. Andy Kennedy's four-year total of 85 wins is one shy of the school record by an Ole Miss coaching staff and could be matched by a win in New York.

Ole Miss and Dayton have met only once before, with the Flyers claiming a 72-70 home win in an early-season tournament in December 1980.

The winner of the Ole Miss-Dayton semifinal game will square off with the North Carolina-Rhode Island winner in Thursday's championship game at 7 p.m. ET. The championship will be shown on ESPN.

The Rebels also made a semifinals appearance in 2008 when they lost to eventual NIT champion Ohio State.