The Huskies are coming off of a loss to Ohio University in the MAC quarterfinals after having a 21-win season. The Gauchos saw their nine-game winning streak end in the Big West semifinals to the eventual conference champions, the University of Hawaii.
The Vegas 16 will be NIU’s fourth postseason appearance and UCSB’s 13th postseason berth. NIU participated in the NCAA Tournament in 1982, ’91 and ’96, while the Gauchos have advanced to five NCAA Tournaments (1988, ’90, 2002, 2010 and 2011), five National Invitation Tournaments (1989, ’92, ’93, 2003 and 2008), one College Basketball Invitational (2015) and one College Insider Tournament (2012).