Notre Dame, Texas, Colorado, Northwestern highlight the field for the 2016 Legends Classic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2016
Contact: Ray Cella 609.921.1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com)
PRINCETON, N.J./BROOKLYN, N.Y. – NCAA participants Notre Dame, Texas, and Colorado, along with Northwestern will headline the field for the 2016 Legends Classic, which culminates with the Championship Rounds at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday for the Championship Rounds of the 10th annual Legends Classic men’s basketball tournament, and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or through Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.
All four games of the Championship Rounds will be televised on ESPN networks.
Highlighting the field for the Legends Classic are Notre Dame, which advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament, Texas, Colorado, and Northwestern. These four teams, with a combined 85 NCAA Tournament appearances and six Final Fours among them, will each host a pair of regional round games on campus before facing off at Barclays Center in the Championship Rounds on Nov. 21-22.
Joining Notre Dame, Texas, Colorado, and Northwestern in the 2016 Legends Classic are Eastern Washington, Bryant, Louisiana Monroe, and Seattle.
Eastern Washington will host Bryant, Louisiana Monroe, and Seattle in the Subregional Round of the Legends Classic, Nov. 21-22, in Cheney, Wash.
Notre Dame (Head Coach: Mike Brey, Atlantic Coast Conference) – Reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season…the Mike Brey Era has been one of the most successful in the illustrious history of Notre Dame basketball…in 16 seasons, Brey has guided the Irish to over 350 wins and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances…Notre Dame, which has been ranked this season, is expected to return of 12 of 14 players next season, including guard Steve Vasturia and forward V.J. Beachem…the Fighting Irish have been to 36 NCAA Tournaments and one Final Four…this will be Notre Dame’s first Legends Classic appearance.
Texas (Head Coach: Shaka Smart, Big 12 Conference) – Head coach Shaka Smart just completed his first season at Texas…after six years at VCU, where his teams never won fewer than 26 games in a season and advanced to the 2011 Final Four, Smart led the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament…nine players are expected to return for Texas next season, led by the back court of Isaiah Taylor and Eric Davis, Jr…the Longhorns have been to 34 NCAA Tournaments, advancing three times to the Final Four…Texas has twice played in the Legends Classic, winning the inaugural event in 2007 and advancing to the title game in 2011.
Colorado (Head Coach: Tad Boyle, Pac-12 Conference) – In six years at Colorado, head coach Tad Boyle has recorded a number of firsts, including being the first coach to lead the Buffaloes to six consecutive postseason appearances (including the 2016 NCAA Tournament) and winning 108 games faster than any coach in school history…he also led the Buffs to a school record 21 regular season wins this season, 22 overall…Boyle will look to keep that success going as 10 players from this year’s squad are expected to return next season, led by guards George King and Josh Fortune and forward Wesley Gordon…the Buffs have been to 14 NCAA Tournaments and two Final Fours…this will be Colorado’s first Legends Classic appearance.
Northwestern (Head Coach: Chris Collins, Big Ten Conference) – Chris Collins concluded his third season as head coach at Northwestern after serving as an assistant at his alma mater, Duke, for 13 years…the Wildcats have increased their win total in each of Collins’ three seasons at the helm…to continue that trend, 10 of 13 players from this year’s team are expected to return in 2016-17, paced by guard Bryant McIntosh and forward Vic Law…this will be the Wildcats’ first Legends Classic appearance.
Eastern Washington (Head Coach: Jim Hayford, Big Sky Conference) – Head coach Jim Hayford has guided the Eagles to over 80 wins in his five seasons at EWU, including 26 wins a year ago en route to the school’s second NCAA Tournament bid (first since 2004)…EWU three starters are among the 14 players expected to return to a team that features eight current freshmen…leading the group are forwards Felix Von Hofe and Bogdan Bliznyuk…Eastern was in the postseason for the second straight year, playing in the CBI after earning an NCAA bid a year ago…this will be EWU’s first Legends Classic.
Bryant (Head Coach: Tim O’Shea, Northeast Conference) – Tim O’Shea has led the Bulldogs in their first eight years as a Division I member…in that time he has built the Bulldogs into one of the premier programs in the Northeast Conference…next season, 10 players are expected to return, including four starters and the team’s top four leading scorers, led by guards Hunter Ware and Nisre Zouzoua and NEC Rookie of the Year Marcel Pettway…this will mark Bryant’s first Legends Classic appearance.
Louisiana Monroe (Head Coach Keith Richard, Sun Belt Conference) – Keith Richard concluded his sixth season as head coach at his alma mater…after winning just 14 games his first three years, he has helmed the Warhawks to 54 wins the last three years (including back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 24 years), while advancing to the Championship Series of the 2015 College Basketball Invitational (CBI)…starting guard Nick Coppola and starting forward Travis Munnings are among eight players expected to return next season…this will be ULM’s first time in the Legends Classic.
Seattle (Head Coach: Cameron Dollar, Western Athletic Conference) – In seven seasons, head coach Cameron Dollar has led Seattle to six double-digit win seasons during his tenure…he has guided the Redhawks to back-to-back CBI appearances – including their first national postseason tournament since 1969…11 players are expected back next season, including four starters, led by forward William Powell and guard Brendan Westendorf…the Redhawks will be making their first appearance in the Legends Classic.
The complete schedule for the 2016 Legends Classic will be announced at a later date.
The 2015 Legends Classic was billed as a battle of the top freshmen in the country as LSU’s Ben Simmons and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson led their teams into Brooklyn. When it was over, Ellenson emerged as the tournament’s MVP and Marquette emerged as the tournament’s champion, beating Arizona State, 78-73, in overtime.
Brooklyn Nets All-Access season ticket buyers have the opportunity to purchase tickets for Barclays Center events before the general public. For more information, visit www.barclayscenter.com. To receive the latest updates and special pre-sale offers, become a Barclays Center Behind the Scenes newsletter recipient, and follow @BarclaysCenter on Twitter and Facebook.
The Legends 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 Gotham 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 Legends Classic. Now in its 35th 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.
Barclays Center opened on September 28, 2012, and is a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. One of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, Barclays Center offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 15,795 for hockey, and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant by American Express.
Barclays Center hosts an extensive variety of events, including premier concerts, major professional boxing cards, top college basketball, family shows, the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Islanders.
Barclays Center has redefined the arena customer service and culinary experience. Its more than 2,000 employees are trained by Disney Institute, the business advisory arm of The Walt Disney Company, and its BrooklynTaste food program features selections from 55 well-known restaurants and vendors in the borough.
Barclays Center engages the customer with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the fan experience. As the first arena in the world to utilize Cisco StadiumVision mobile multicast streaming technology, Barclays Center allows fans to watch live video and instant replays from their mobile phones while connected to the arena’s free Wi-Fi.
For more information on Barclays Center, please visit www.barclayscenter.com.
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