The not exactly highly anticipated championship series of the CBI begins this week, as the ninth-place team in the Pac-12 and the 13th-place team in the Big East square off on Monday.
CBI Basketball Tournament 2012 Schedule And Bracket: Washington State Faces Pittsburgh In Final
Washington State, an aggressively mediocre Power Six outfit, hosts Pittsburgh, one of the most disappointing teams in the country, on their campus, before the series returns to Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
The Cougars have had a tough season trying to replace their departed star Klay Thompson, who now plays in the NBA. They've advanced fairly easily through the first three rounds of the CBI, defeating San Francisco, Wyoming and Oregon State by at least 15 points.
They will most likely be without their best player, 6’10 junior forward Brock Mouton, who sprained his ankle in their game against Oregon State last week.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is led by senior PG Ashton Gibbs, a veteran of repeated deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, but they've struggled after losing three key seniors from last season's Top 10 team. They defeated Wofford and Princeton in the first two rounds before overcoming Butler in an OT game in the semifinals.
Monday’s game will be played at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Check out a full bracket here. For more on the CBI, visit our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to head over to our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub for more on the Big Dance.
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