Isaiah Jackson and Rodney Bullock of the Providence Friars. (Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The first round of the NIT starts Tuesday night, with 5-seed Boston College ready to face Number 4 Western Kentucky at 8 p.m. in Kentucky.
Wednesday, Harvard will clash with Marquette in their opener in Milwaukee in the consolation bracket.
Two locals from the Ocean State are in the main tournament.
Rhode Island has a 7-10 matchup with Oklahoma Thursday afternoon to tip-off the Big Dance, then Providence will meet Texas A&M Friday.
The 10-seed Friars are 1-and-4 all-time in the tourney under head coach Ed Cooley, but his guys are fresh off three straight overtime games in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden and feeling good heading to Charlotte.
"The energy that was in the Garden for those three games, I don't know Charlotte could mimic that," Cooley said. "That's gonna help us."
Last time the Friars played a tourney game in Charlotte, PC upset Duke in 1997 en route to the Elite Eight.
But, Cooley's not distracted by a potential second-round meeting with North Carolina.
"I haven't watched one thing about North Carolina," he said. "Not even in my head, to be honest with you. We'll attack that when we get to it, we'll be fortunate if we do. I haven't thought about it, to be honest with you. I got no time for North Carolina right now."
All eyes on the Aggies.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports