Match-ups set for 2016 Legends Classic

Match-ups set for 2016 Legends Classic

Notre Dame to take on Colorado and Texas to meet Northwestern in Championship Round semifinals at Barclays Center; Subregional Round match-ups also set

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2016
Contact: Ray Cella 609.921.1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com)

PRINCETON, N.J./BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The schedule for the 10th annual Legends Classic (@legendsbball) has been finalized.

2016 NCAA Tournament participants Notre Dame (Elite 8), Texas, and Colorado, along with Northwestern headline the field for the Legends Classic, which culminates with the Championship Rounds at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Nov. 21-22.

Tickets are on sale for the Championship Rounds at Barclays Center 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.

In the Championship Rounds, Notre Dame will face Colorado in the first semifinal, followed by Texas taking on Northwestern on Monday, Nov. 21. The consolation and championship games will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 22. All four games of the Championship Rounds will be televised on ESPN networks.

Joining Notre Dame, Texas, Colorado, and Northwestern in the Legends Classic are Eastern Washington, Bryant, Louisiana Monroe, and Seattle.

In addition to their games at Barclays Center, Notre Dame, Texas, Colorado, and Northwestern – with a combined 83 NCAA Tournament appearances and six Final Fours among them – will host a pair of games on campus, beginning Nov. 12. Eastern Washington will host Bryant, Louisiana Monroe, and Seattle in the Subregional Round of the Legends Classic, Nov. 21-22, in Cheney, Wash.

Additional television information will be announced at a later date.

—- CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS —-

Semifinal Doubleheader
Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y.
November 21
Notre Dame vs. Colorado (ESPN2)
Texas vs. Northwestern (ESPN3)

Championship Doubleheader
Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y.
November 22
Consolation Game (ESPNU)
Championship Game (ESPN2)

—- REGIONAL ROUNDS —-

Notre Dame Regional Rounds
Purcell Pavilion – Notre Dame, Ind.
November 12
Bryant at Notre Dame
November 16
Seattle at Notre Dame

Austin Regional Rounds
Erwin Special Events Center – Austin, Texas
November 14
ULM at Texas
November 17
Eastern Washington at Texas

Boulder Regional Rounds
Coors Events Center- Boulder, Colo.
November 14
Seattle at Colorado
November 17
ULM at Colorado

Evanston Regional Rounds
Welsh-Ryan Arena – Evanston, Ill.
November 14
Eastern Washington at Northwestern
November 25
Bryant at Northwestern

—- SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS —-

Cheney Subregional Rounds
Reese Court – Cheney, Wash.
November 21
ULM vs. Seattle
Bryant vs. Eastern Washington
November 22
Subregional Consolation Game
Subregional Championship Game

Notre Dame (Head Coach: Mike Brey, Atlantic Coast Conference) – Reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season – the only team in the nation to do so…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 356 wins and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances…Notre Dame returns 12 of 14 players next season, including guard Steve Vasturia and forward V.J. Beachem…the Fighting Irish have been to 35 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 completed his first season at Texas in 2015-16…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 guided the Longhorns to 20 wins and the NCAA Tournament…seven players return for Texas next season, led by the back court of Eric Davis, Jr., and Kerwin Roach, Jr….joining the Longhorns are a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans in forward Jarrett Allen (No. 15-rated prospect) and guard Andrew Jones (No. 28-rated prospect)…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.

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)…Boyle, who ranks second in all-time winning percentage at Colorado (.619) and owns five of the program’s nine 20-win seasons, led the Buffs to a school record tying 21 regular season wins last season, 22 overall…this year, 10 players are back, 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 is entering his fourth season as head coach at Northwestern…the Wildcats have increased their win total in each of Collins’ first three seasons at the helm, including tying a school record with 20 wins this past season…to continue that upward trend, 10 of 13 players from last year’s team 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 84 wins in his five seasons at EWU…Eastern’s three starters are among the 11 players returning to a team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 CBI after earning a 2015 bid to the NCAA Tournament…leading the group are forwards Felix Von Hofe and Bogdan Bliznyuk…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…10 players are expected to return in 2016-17, 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 is entering his seventh 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)…starting guard Nick Coppola and starting forward Travis Munnings are among eight returning players…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 guided the Redhawks to back-to-back CBI appearances in 2015 and 2016 – including their first national postseason tournament since 1969 in 2015…11 players are back, 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 2015 Legends Classic was billed as a battle of the top freshmen in the country as LSU’s Ben Simmons (eventual No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft) and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson (eventual No. 18 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft) 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. 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.

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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