Wednesday, March 19th, 8:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Tad Smith Coliseum (8,700) -- Oxford, Mississippi. Television: ESPNU. NIT Record: UC Santa Barbara 0-4, Ole Miss 7-7. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The seventh-seeded UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the second-seeded Ole Miss Rebels will meet this evening in the first round of the 2008 NIT. UC Santa Barbara is making its first postseason appearance in five years, and the team carries an impressive 23-8 record into this clash. The Gauchos shared the Big West Conference regular season title with two other teams, and they hope to score their first-ever NIT victory. They are 0-4 all-time at this event, including the most recent loss in 2003. As for Ole Miss, it has split its 14 all-time games in this tournament, and the team did manage to win a game at last season's event. The Rebels opened the season with 13 consecutive victories, setting a school record, but the fact that they weren't able to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament is clearly disappointing. Andy Kennedy is the first coach in the history of the program to guide his team to back-to- back 20-win campaigns in his first two years, and a victory tonight would permit the club to reach the 22-victory plateau for just the fourth time ever. Ole Miss and UC Santa Barbara have never squared off on the hardwood, and the winner of this game will take on either Nebraska or Charlotte in the next round.

Senior guard Alex Harris needs just 12 points to become UC Santa Barbara's all-time leading scorer. Harris, the Big West Conference Co-Player of the Year, finished the regular season averaging 20.2 ppg. He was named a First Team All-Big West performer for the second consecutive year and will undoubtedly draw plenty of attention from Ole Miss defenders this evening. Fortunately, there are some other talented players on the roster for the Gauchos. Chris Devine, a two-time Second Team All-Big West selection, is posting 12.2 ppg, and James Powell is netting 12.1 ppg. As for Ivan Elliott, he is posting 9.7 ppg and is a tremendous shooter. The only starter not mentioned is Justin Joyner, a guard who has had more turnovers than assists in only two games this season.

Ole Miss has set a record for most three-pointers in a season, and the Rebels have also grabbed more rebounds than in any previous campaign. The main man on the boards is Dwayne Curtis, a rugged forward/center who is ripping down 9.3 rpg to rank second among all SEC players. In addition to his impressive rebounding numbers, Curtis is generating 15.1 ppg and has 15 double-doubles to his credit. Another player to keep an eye on is Chris Warren, a unanimous choice to the SEC All-Freshman squad. Although just 5-10 in stature, Warren is scoring 15.7 ppg, including an impressive 17.1 ppg against SEC foes. A tremendous passer, Warren sees the floor well and uses his quickness to create mismatches. The Rebels rank 20th in the nation with 79.5 ppg this season, but many of the strong offensive performances were posted against rather weak non- conference opposition early on.

UC Santa Barbara has set a program record for wins in a season this year, but the campaign will end tonight for the Gauchos. Expect the Rebels to jump on top early and cruise to victory.

Predicted Outcome

Ole Miss 78, UC Santa Barbara 62