The Crimson Tide basketball team was left out of the NCAA Tournament field on Sunday evening.

A couple of hours later, the Tide received word that it was selected as a #1 seed for the NIT. As such, Bama will play at home in each of the first three rounds should the Tide keep winning.

The opening round game will be played on Tuesday night at 6:00 CST in Tuscaloosa against Coastal Carolina. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Coastal Carolina actually has a very impressive record, and they dominated the Big South conference en route to the league championship. However, they have lost several players due to NCAA suspension, and will have to continue playing short-handed in the NIT. The biggest storyline in the opener will be the return of former Auburn coach Cliff Ellis to Coleman Coliseum.

If Bama can get past Coastal Carolina, the Tide would play the New Mexico-UTEP winner at home sometime between March 18-22. Other teams in Bama's bracket are Miami, Missouri State, Murray State and Florida Atlantic.