NEWARK, NJ -- With one game remaining in the 2017-18 regular season, the NJIT men's basketball team has tons riding on its finale at USC Upstate (7-23, 2-11) on Thursday night in Spartanburg, S.C.

One thing is certain regardless of the outcome at the Hodge Center: The Highlanders (13-15, 6-7) will be playing either Jacksonville University (13-17, 7-6) or University of North Florida (13-17, 7-6) in the Quarterfinals. The biggest thing to be resolved on Thursday is at which venue the game will be played on Feb. 26. 

Win, and the Highlanders finish tied for fourth place in conference standings and earn the 4-seed for the 2018 ASUN Tournament. The significance is starting with a home game in the Quarterfinals against either JU (13-17, 7-6) or UNF (13-17, 7-6) on Feb. 26 at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.

Lose, and the Highlanders will be forced to start on the road and could finish as low as the 6-seed in the Quarterfinals. Whether NJIT finishes with the 5-seed of the 6-seed, the Highlanders would be headed back to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on either the Dolphins at Swisher Gym (where they are 2-1 all-time) or the Ospreys at UNF Arena (where they are 0-3 all-time).

Remember, the Highlanders were predicted to finish in eighth place in both the ASUN's coaches and media preseason polls.

Four of the seeds are already locked prior to the regular-season finale: Florida Gulf Coast (20-10, 11-2) is 1-seed and Lipscomb in the 2-seed (19-9, 9-4) while Stetson (12-18, 4-9) is the 7-seed and Upstate is the 8-seed. In addition to NJIT, JU and UNF, Kennesaw State (10-18, 6-7) has a fate yet to be determined.

The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, March 1, and the finals will be held on Sunday, March 3.

NJIT will be looking for its first-ever win in the ASUN Tournament. As a 2-seed in 2016, the Highlanders were upset at home by No. 7 Stetson. Last season as a 7-seed, NJIT fell at No 2 Lipscomb.

Thanks to ASUN officials, all the scenarios to determine seeds 3-6 appear below.

   

>>>> IF FGCU DEFEATS STETSON 

 

Thursday - February 22
7:00 - NJIT at UPST	7:00 - UNF at JU	7:30 - KSU at LIP	Use Standings
NJIT wins	UNF wins	KSU wins	A
		LIP wins	B
	JU wins	KSU wins	C
		LIP wins	D
UPST wins	UNF wins	KSU wins	E
		LIP wins	F
	JU wins	KSU wins	G
		LIP wins	H

 

  A

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 7-7 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  B   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  C   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 7-7 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  D   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  E   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

Kennesaw State 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

NJIT 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  F   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

Jacksonville 7-7 #4

NJIT 6-8 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  G   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

Kennesaw State 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

NJIT 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  H   

FGCU 12-2 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

North Florida 7-7 #4

NJIT 6-8 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 4-10 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

 

>>>> IF STETSON DEFEATS FGCU

 

Thursday - February 22
7:00 - NJIT at UPST	7:00 - UNF at JU	7:30 - KSU at LIP	Use Standings
NJIT wins	UNF wins	KSU wins	AA
		LIP wins	BB
	JU wins	KSU wins	CC
		LIP wins	DD
UPST wins	UNF wins	KSU wins	EE
		LIP wins	FF
	JU wins	KSU wins	GG
		LIP wins	HH

 

 AA

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 7-7 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  BB   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  CC   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 7-7 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  DD   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

NJIT 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 2-12 #8

  EE   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

Kennesaw State 7-7 #4

Jacksonville 7-7 #5

NJIT 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  FF   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

North Florida 8-6 #3

Jacksonville 7-7 #4

NJIT 6-8 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  GG   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 9-5 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

Kennesaw State 7-7 #4

North Florida 7-7 #5

NJIT 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8

  HH   

FGCU 11-3 #1

Lipscomb 10-4 #2

Jacksonville 8-6 #3

North Florida 7-7 #4

NJIT 6-8 #5

Kennesaw State 6-8 #6

Stetson 5-9 #7

USC Upstate 3-11 #8