Old rivalries renewed as
Legends Classic schedule finalized
Legends Classic schedule finalized
Penn State to face Pittsburgh, Texas A&M to take on Oklahoma State
at Barclays Center, beginning Nov. 20
July 17, 2017
PRINCETON, N,J./BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The renewal of a pair of old rivalries highlight the schedule of the 11th annual Legends Classic (@LegendsBball).
In the Legends Classic semifinals at Barclays Center on Nov. 20, former Big 12 Conference rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma State will meet in the first game of the doubleheader, followed by in-state rivals Penn State and Pittsburgh. The winners will meet for the Legends Classic championship the following evening, with the losers squaring off in the consolation game. All four games of the Championship Rounds of the Legends Classic will air on ESPN Networks.
Tickets for the Championship Rounds can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.
Texas A&M and Oklahoma State renew a rivalry that began in 1917-18 but has but has not been played since the 2011-12 season. The Cowboys own a 31-17 advantage over the Aggies. Penn State and Pittsburgh will meet for the 148th time in a rivalry that started in 1905-06 and which the Nittany Lions lead, 75-72. Pittsburgh won the last season’s meeting between the two, 81-73.
Penn State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, and Texas A&M will host two games on their home courts in addition to playing a pair of games in Brooklyn. They are joined in the Legends Classic by Pepperdine, Montana, Oral Roberts, and UC-Santa Barbara. These four teams will meet in the Subregional Rounds at Pepperdine, beginning on Nov. 20 when Montana faces Oral Roberts and Pepperdine takes on UCSB in the semifinals. The consolation and championship games of the Subregional will be played the next day.
—– CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS —– | |
Semifinal Doubleheader Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y. November 20 – 7:00 p.m. (ET) Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State (ESPN2) Penn State vs. Pittsburgh (ESPN3) |
Championship Doubleheader Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y. November 21 – 3:30 p.m. (ET) Consolation Game (ESPNU) Championship Game (ESPN2) |
—– REGIONAL ROUNDS —– | |
University Park Regional Rounds
Bryce Jordan Center – University Park, Pa. November 15 Montana at Penn State November 24 Oral Roberts at Penn State Pittsburgh Regional Rounds Petersen Events Center – Pittsburgh, Pa. November 13 Montana at Pittsburgh November 15 UCSB at Pittsburgh |
Stillwater Regional Rounds
Gallagher-Iba Arena – Stillwater, Okla. November 10 Pepperdine at Oklahoma State November 16 Oral Roberts at Oklahoma State College Station Regional Rounds Reed Arena – College Station, Texas November 17 UCSB at Texas A&M November 24 Pepperdine at Texas A&M |
—- SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS —- | |
Malibu Subregional Rounds
Firestone Fieldhouse – Malibu, Calif. November 20 Oral Roberts vs. Montana UCBS vs. Pepperdine November 21 Subregional Consolation Game Subregional Championship Game |
Penn State (Head Coach: Patrick Chambers, Big Ten Conference) – Entering his seventh season, Patrick Chambers has brought new energy to the Penn State program…with the Nittany Lions’ last two recruiting classes being the two best in school history…this year’s roster is highlighted by senior guard Shep Garner, junior Josh Reaves and sophomores Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens, and Mike Watkins…Penn State has been to nine NCAA Tournaments and one Final Four…this will be its first Legends Classic appearance.
Oklahoma State (Head Coach: Mike Boynton, Big 12 Conference) – Mike Boynton, an assistant at OSU last season, takes the reigns of the program in 2017…the Cowboys, who won 20 games and earned an NCAA bid last year, will be led by senior wing Jeffrey Carroll, who earned All-Big 12 honors after averaging 17.5 ppg and 6.6 rpg on 44.4 percent shooting from 3-point…OSU will also welcome a Top 25 recruiting class this coming season…the Cowboys, who will be making their Legends Classic debut, have won two national championships and have been to the NCAA Tournament 28 times, which includes six Final Fours.
Pittsburgh (Head Coach: Kevin Stallings, Atlantic Coast Conference) – Kevin Stallings is in his second season at Pitt after guiding the Panthers to 16 wins a year ago…this season, he will turn to forward Ryan Luther and a host of talented newcomers, led by graduate transfer Monty Boykins, Rivals top 100 point guard Marcus Carr, and junior college standout Jared Wilson-Frame…Pittsburgh has been to 26 NCAA Tournaments, including one trip to the Final Four…the Panthers have played in two previous Legends Classics (2008, 2013), winning both with a perfect 8-0 record.
Texas A&M (Head Coach: Billy Kennedy, Southeastern Conference) – Head coach Billy Kennedy, with more than 325 career victories to his credit, will enter his seventh season at Texas A&M…nine of A&M’s 15 players are underclassmen, including four starters, highlighted by guard Admon Gilder, center Tyler Davis, and forward Robert Williams, a projected first round NBA Draft pick who will return for his sophomore season…with Davis and Williams earning second-team All-SEC honors, A&M will be the only SEC team returning multiple all-league players…the Aggies have been to 13 NCAA Tournaments and will be making their first Legends Classic appearance.
Montana (Head Coach: Travis DeCuire, Big Sky Conference) – Montana alum Travis DeCuire has done something no coach in school history has done – lead the Griz to back-to-back 20-win seasons in his first two years at the helm of the program…this past year Montana won 16 games with a roster that featured 10 underclassmen and only two seniors that saw regular starting time…the Griz will be led by the junior backcourt of Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine as well as 6-7 wing Donaven Dorsey…Montana has been to 10 NCAA Tournaments…this will be the Griz’s first appearance in the Legends Classic.
Oral Roberts (Head Coach: Paul Mills, Summit League) – Paul Mills takes over the Golden Eagles’ program after spending the last 14 seasons at Baylor, including the last eight as an assistant coach…in the eight-year span, Baylor posted 198 wins and went to six NCAA Tournaments, including this past season’s Sweet 16…11 of 15 players, three of whom are starters, are expected to return this coming season, including leading scorer center Albert Owens and Summit League Freshman of the Year Emmanuel Nzeksesi…Oral Roberts, which has been to the NCAA Tournament five times, will be making its first Legends Classic appearance.
Pepperdine (Head Coach: Marty Wilson, West Coast Conference) – In six seasons at Pepperdine, head coach Marty Wilson has rebuilt the Waves, amassing more than 80 wins after inheriting a team coming off six-straight losing seasons…next year’s team will see the return of Amadi Udenyi and Kameron Edwards, a pair of starters who missed all or most of the 2016-17 season, while adding transfers Eric Cooper Jr. (Nevada) and Matthew Atewe (Washington) to a young core of players who gained valuable experience as freshmen this past year…Pepperdine will be making its Legends Classic debut and has been to 13 NCAA Tournaments.
UC-Santa Barbara (Head Coach: Joe Pasternack, Big West Conference) – After spending the last seven seasons at Arizona, Joe Pasternack takes over at USCB…prior to his tenure at Arizona, he was the head coach for four seasons at New Orleans before that program downgraded to Division II…this season, UCSB features a roster that can return as many as 15 players in 2017-18…four starters are expected back next year, including leading scorers guard Gabe Vincent and forward Jalen Canty…the Gauchos have been to six NCAA Tournaments…this will be their first Legends Classic appearance.
In the 2016 Legends Classic, Notre Dame led by as many as 12 points in the second half before fending off Northwestern, 70-66, to win the title. Tournament MVP Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia scored 18 points apiece for the Irish.
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 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.
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) develops and operates state-of-the-art venues and manages premier sports franchises, delivering dynamic content and experiences for audiences. BSE oversees programming, marketing, sales, and operations for Barclays Center and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Presented By New York Community Bank, and manages and controls the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and its Development League team, the Long Island Nets, as well as the business operations of the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Barclays Center, which opened on September 28, 2012, 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.
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For additional information, please visit Brooklynse.com.

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