CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago will play in the NIT for the second consecutive season, heading out to San Jose State for the first-round game. Tip-off between the Ramblers and Spartans is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT. Loyola is fresh off the Atlantic 10 semifinals and earned its first A-10 tournament win over Saint Louis in the quarterfinals.

Wednesday's game can be watched on ESPN2 with Mike Corey (PXP) and Fran Fraschilla (Analyst). Games can also be listened to Rambler Sports Network with Scott Sudikoff (PXP) and Christian Thomas (Analyst).

RAMBLINGS
• Loyola played a pair of games in the A-10 tournament. The Ramblers picked up their first tournament win over Saint Louis in the quarterfinals, 72-64. They fell in a hard fought semifinal to top-seeded VCU, 62-55.
• Des Watson dropped a career-high 25 points against the Billikens to help Loyola to the win. Watson went 7-14 from the field and 8-9 at the line.
• Jayden Dawson (12) and Sheldon Edwards Jr. (10) added double-figure performances, while Kymany Houinsou grabbed 10 boards for the second straight game.
• Against VCU, the Ramblers struggled from the field, shooting just 29.4 percent. Miles Rubin and Edwards Jr. led Loyola with 12 points each.
• The Ramblers dominated the boards, out rebounding VCU, 48-38. Loyola grabbed a season-high 22 offensive rebounds, led by Rubin who had five. Rubin, Houinsou, and Jalen DeLoach totaled eight rebounds each.
• For the second straight season, Rubin broke the single-season block record. He tallied one block against the Rams, marking his 77th of the year. Last year, he broke the 40-year-old record with 76 blocks.
• Edwards Jr. also broke a single-season record. His 86th three-pointer of the season set the new mark. He did it in a 22-point, 10 rebound double-double on senior day vs. Davidson. Edwards Jr. has 99 made threes this season.
• Dawson and Rubin earned All-Atlantic 10 honors earlier this week. Dawson was tabbed to the second team, while Rubin collected All-Defensive honors for the second straight season.
• Rubin moved up in national rankings. He sits eighth in total blocks (74) and block percentage (12.3) and 11th in blocks per game (2.4).
• Head coach Drew Valentine is in his fourth season at the helm. He has compiled a 80-50 overall record as head coach.

SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE
The Spartans enter the postseason at 15-19 overall and finished with a 7-13 record in the Mountain West, placing eighth. SJSU took a win over No. 9 Wyoming in the league's tournament before falling to the No. 1 seed New Mexico. In the Mountain West, the Spartans rank third in three-point percentage defense (.324) and are the fourth-best three-point shooting team (.345).

Jose Uduje was tabbed third team All-Mountain West last week. He averaged 16.1 points per game in league games and averages a team-leading 16.3 ppg overall. He's on a six-game double-figure scoring streak that tipped off with a 29-point outing at Wyoming on Feb. 22. He has 13 games with at least 20 points scored, including a season-high 30 points at Fresno State on Feb. 4.

Tim Miles is in his fourth season leading San Jose State. He holds a 53-79 record at the helm.