Although the opportunity to play in the postseason for a third straight season was a possibility for the Missouri State University men’s basketball program, Director of Athletics Kyle Moats announced Monday (March 5), the Bears will not participate in the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

“Our coaches can immediately begin working with our returning players, focusing on recruiting and concentrating on our academic responsibilities,” Moats explained. “Investing our resources in these areas is a better fit for our current situation.”

Under first-year head coach Paul Lusk, the Bears finished the season 16-16 overall and tied for third in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 9-9 record. MSU, which was picked sixth in this year’s MVC preseason poll after returning just 38.7 percent of its scoring from the 2011 MVC championship team, is expected to return eight active players, two redshirt players and 52.1 percent of its total points for the 2012-13 campaign.

The four-man senior class includes three-time All-MVC standout Kyle Weems, the program’s No. 2 career scorer (1,868 points) and the only man in MVC history to record 1,800 points, 800 rebounds and 200 three-pointers. Caleb Patterson, who was second on the club at 12.2 points per game, Michael Bizoukas, the MVC leader in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, and Isaiah Rhine, who played 105 career games, round out the list of 2011-12 seniors.

The Bears won the CIT in 2010 before advancing to the second round of the 2011 National Invitation Tournament a year ago.

— MSU Sports Information —