Kats headed back to the NIT
3/15/2026 9:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE — The Bearkats are headed back to the postseason.
Sam Houston (22-11) has been selected to play in the National Invitational Tournament, the NIT committee announced on Sunday evening. The Bearkats will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico to face the No. 1 seeded New Mexico Lobos (23-10) on Wednesday in a game to be streamed on ESPN+ at 8 p.m.
This is the third time Sam Houston has made the NIT. The Bearkats earned an automatic bid as the 2018-19 Southland Conference regular season champions, and the 2022-23 team which posted a school record 26 wins earned an at-large berth that came with an opening round win over Santa Clara.
Sam Houston finished second in Conference USA, going 21-10 in the regular season and 13-7 in league play. The Kats went 1-1 in the conference tournament this past week with a 79-72 victory over NM State in the quarterfinals before being eliminated in the semifinals to eventual champion Kennesaw State.
Head coach Chris Mudge earned Co-Coach of the Year honors in CUSA having turned around an off year for the Kats the previous season when they went a 13-19. This year's squad was picked ninth in the preseason poll but more than doubled its CUSA win total from the previous season.
Kashie Natt was named CUSA's Defensive Player of the Year, freshman Jacob Walker was named Sixth Man of the Year and Po'Boigh King also earned all-conference honors.
Sam Houston (22-11) has been selected to play in the National Invitational Tournament, the NIT committee announced on Sunday evening. The Bearkats will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico to face the No. 1 seeded New Mexico Lobos (23-10) on Wednesday in a game to be streamed on ESPN+ at 8 p.m.
This is the third time Sam Houston has made the NIT. The Bearkats earned an automatic bid as the 2018-19 Southland Conference regular season champions, and the 2022-23 team which posted a school record 26 wins earned an at-large berth that came with an opening round win over Santa Clara.
Sam Houston finished second in Conference USA, going 21-10 in the regular season and 13-7 in league play. The Kats went 1-1 in the conference tournament this past week with a 79-72 victory over NM State in the quarterfinals before being eliminated in the semifinals to eventual champion Kennesaw State.
Head coach Chris Mudge earned Co-Coach of the Year honors in CUSA having turned around an off year for the Kats the previous season when they went a 13-19. This year's squad was picked ninth in the preseason poll but more than doubled its CUSA win total from the previous season.
Kashie Natt was named CUSA's Defensive Player of the Year, freshman Jacob Walker was named Sixth Man of the Year and Po'Boigh King also earned all-conference honors.
Players Mentioned
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