Gotham Classic to tip off on December 8

PRINCETON, N.J. – The field and schedule for the fourth annual Gotham Classic has been finalized with the men’s basketball event beginning on December 8 and concluding on December 22.

The teams comprising the field of the 2016 Gotham Classic are the University of Massachusetts, University of the Pacific, Kennesaw State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Rider University.

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In the 2015 Gotham Classic, Pittsburgh won all four of its games, including a 94-69 win over Davidson, the lone loss in the event for the Wildcats. Eastern Washington, Morehead State, and Western Carolina also competed in the event.

Massachusetts – Head Coach: Derek Kellogg (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Derek Kellogg will enter his ninth season at the helm of his alma mater’s basketball program and is already the third winningest coach in school history…eight letterwinners return from last season, including the starting guard junior Donte Clark and classmate C.J. Anderson, who started 11 games in the back court…they will be joined by a seven-member, consensus Top 30 recruiting class – tops in the Atlantic 10 – in 2016-17.

Pacific – Head Coach: Damon Stoudamire (West Coast Conference)
Damon Stoudamire, who played 13 seasons in the NBA after earning first-team All-America honors at Arizona, was named head coach at Pacific in March…most recently, Stoudamire spent the 2015-16 season at Memphis after two seasons at his alma mater…he inherits a program that returns 13 players, including three starters, led by senior guard T.J. Wallace and redshirt-junior wing Ray Bowles.

Kennesaw State – Head Coach: Al Skinner (Atlantic Sun Conference)
In his first season at KSU, Al Skinner led the Owls to their first .500 record in A-Sun play since the 2006-07 season…leading the way was senior guard Kendrick Ray, who set a school Division I record with 579 points scored in earning A-Sun Newcomer of the Year honors…he and junior back court mate Nick Masterson top a list of nine players (three starters) returning from a year ago.

North Carolina A&T – Head Coach: Jay Joyner (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Jay Joyner begins his first full season as head coach of the Aggies after being named interim coach for the final month of last season…he will benefit from the return of seven players, two of whom were starters, from a year ago, headlined by last year’s leading scorer, junior guard Sam Hunt…Hunt will be joined in the back court by fellow starter, senior Denzel Keyes.

Rider – Head Coach: Kevin Baggett (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Kevin Baggett is entering his fifth season at Rider…the 2015 MAAC Coach of the Year sees the return of eight players, including three who started at least 18 games a year ago…tops among the returning players is senior forward Kahlil Thomas, a third-team All-MAAC selection who started 32 of 33 games last season…he is joined up front by senior Xavier Lundy.

The Gotham Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.

The Northeast Conference (NEC) is the sponsoring conference of the Gotham Classic. Entering its 36th season, the NEC is a NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. For more information on the NEC, visit the official website at www.northeastconference.org or follow on Twitter @NECsports.

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national, non-profit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. SHP is led by community members and several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible non-policy and policy solutions that protect children and prevent gun violence. The intent is to honor all victims of gun violence by turning the tragedy into a moment of transformation. SHP seeks to build a national base of parents, schools and community organizations, by attracting and engaging them in community-based gun violence prevention programs, in order to create and leverage a sustained “majority” voice for local, state and national change.