The Gophers men’s basketball confirmed a clear improvement for the program on Sunday: they will continue to play in March.

Minnesota will play at Butler in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Indianapolis.

Minnesota won double the amount of overall games as last season (9 to 18) and more than four times as many Big Ten games (2 to 9).

“It’s a great opportunity for our team to continue to build, grow, get better and compete,” Ben Johnson said in a statement. “Our guys are excited and looking forward to preparing for it this week. It’s the next great step for our program, and we’re ready to get back on the court.”

But the Gophers lost seven of their final 10 games, including a 77-67 loss to Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday at Target Center. This left an NIT bid in doubt early this week.

Minnesota’s NET ranking at 89 looked to be too high to make the field, according to national projections.

Butler comes into the game with an 18-14 record. The Bulldogs finished tied for eighth in the Big East Conference with a 9-11 league mark, and they were knocked out in the first round of the conference tournament by Xavier last Wednesday at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

While Butler recorded impressive wins this season over Big East powers Marquette and Creighton, it finished February with a five-game losing streak.

The Gophers cannot host a game at Williams Arena in the postseason due to Big Ten, Timberwolves and high school tournament schedules at Target Center and the Barn.

The winner will advance to the second round on March 23-24.

The Gophers last competed in the NIT since 2014, finishing runner up to Southern Methodist, 65-63, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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