Creighton returned to the practice floor Thursday to begin preparation for what one player called the tournament no one wants to be in.

But the Bluejays are headed for the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, and they know it’s not going to do anyone any good to moan about their fate.

“As competitors, this is not the tournament we want to be in,’’ Creighton senior guard Cavel Witter said. “But as a competitor, you have to play no matter what situation you’re in. We’re in this tournament, so it’s up to us to make the best of it.’’

Thursday’s practice at the Vinardi Athletic Center was Creighton’s first since an 81-62 loss to Bradley a week ago in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley tournament ended the Bluejays’ only chance to make it to the NCAA tournament.

The players also knew their record — 16-14 entering tournament play — left them with no chance of earning a spot in the National Invitation Tournament.

After the Bradley loss, Creighton’s options diminished to the 2-year-old CIT or the 3-year-old Collegiate Basketball Invitational.

The school announced Wednesday that it had accepted a CIT invitation and would get at least one home game. Creighton will play it Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium against an opponent that probably won’t be announced until late Sunday night.

“A lot of teams aren’t going to be playing,’’ center Kenny Lawson said. “This might not be where we want to be, but we’re playing.’’

And that beats the alternative.

“You try to think about the positives of it,’’ Lawson said. “Right now, it’s either pickup games or workouts or getting another chance to play in front of people. Any time you have those options, you’d much rather play.

“Our seniors are going to get another couple of games. Our younger guys are going to get a little more experience. I don’t see any disadvantages to this at all.’’

By accepting the CIT bid, Creighton will extend the playing careers of its three seniors — Witter, Justin Carter and Chad Millard.

“It’s been a disappointing year, but to get another opportunity to play basketball is a blessing,’’ Witter said. “We’re going to keep playing, and if we could win this whole thing, we’d still have a chance to get 20 wins.”

By playing in the CIT, Creighton will extend its streak of postseason appearances to 13, although a segment of its fan base might argue that point. The Bluejays earlier this season won 10 Valley games, extending that streak to 14 seasons in a row.

Creighton could post its 12th straight 20-win season if the Bluejays would win the four games required to claim the tournament championship. They also would get in 2½ more weeks of practice, which freshman guard Josh Jones said could be valuable in preparing the returning players for next year.

“It’s going to get us more repetitions of the game,’’ Jones said. “Me, I like to hoop, so whenever and wherever, I’m ready.’’

Creighton will play its first CIT game at the Civic because Qwest Center Omaha is hosting the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament next week. The Bluejays played at the Civic from 1961 through the end of the 2002-03 season.

Contact the writer:

679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com

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