Schnepf: Bison to play in 16-team College Basketball Invitational for second straight season

FARGO - As much as Saul Phillips – a self-proclaimed basketball junkie – loves March Madness, he couldn’t help but hide his disappointment Sunday night. He and his North Dakota State men’s basketball team – which finished one win short of reaching the ultimate 68-team NCAA tournament – found out it wasn’t good enough for the second-best gig: the 32-team National Invitational Tournament.