Winthrop men to open 2016 hoops season with NIT

Winthrop will be included in ESPN’s 2016 NIT Season Tip-Off, a group of college basketball games that get the year underway.

Four of the eight teams in the event’s field are actually playing in a bracketed portion of the tournament, but Winthrop is not. Still, the Eagles will face high caliber opponents on the road in Florida State, Illinois and Manhattan, as well as a home game the Sunday after Thanksgiving against New Hampshire. The games were part of a press release from ESPN; Winthrop hasn’t released its full 2016-17 schedule yet.

The Eagles last played in the NIT Season Tip-Off during the 2010-11 campaign. Randy Peele’s team beat Wake Forest but lost to VCU, Hampton and Belmont.

Winthrop finished 23-9 last season, losing in the Big South Conference tournament championship game to UNC Asheville. The 20-win campaign was the ninth in the school’s Division I basketball history and second in Kelsey’s four seasons.

ESPN’s 2016 NIT Season Tip-Off

Nov. 14 - New Hampshire at Temple

Nov. 15 - Winthrop at Manhattan

Nov. 18 - Winthrop at Florida State; Detroit at Illinois

Nov. 20 - Manhattan at Temple; Detroit at Florida State; New Hampshire at West Virginia

Nov. 21 - Winthrop at Illinois

Nov. 23 - Detroit at New Hampshire

Nov. 24 - Temple vs. Florida State; Illinois vs. West Virginia (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Nov. 25 - Third place game; championship game (Brooklyn)

Nov. 26 - Manhattan at Detroit

Nov. 27 - New Hampshire at Winthrop

Nov. 28 - Manhattan at West Virginia

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Winthrop men to open 2016 hoops season with NIT."