UCONN, NOTRE DAME, USC, AND VANDERBILT TO COMPETE IN THE 2020 LEGENDS CLASSIC
Revised March 12, 2020
PRINCETON, N.J./BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The 14th annual Legends Classic will return to Barclays Center with Connecticut, Notre Dame, Southern California, and Vanderbilt competing in the Championship Rounds from November 23-24.
General public tickets for the Legends Classic Championship Rounds are on sale. To receive further information, follow the Legends Classic on Twitter (@legendsbball), Facebook (@legendsclassic), and Instagram (@legendsclassic).
The complete field and schedule will be announced at a later date.
UConn (Head Coach: Dan Hurley, American Athletic Conference)
UConn will be making the jump back to the Big East Conference next season…head coach Dan Hurley is in his second season at UConn and has led the resurgent Huskies to a 19-12 record…the bulk of the Huskies’ roster is expected to return next season, led by freshman guard James Bouknight, junior forward Tyler Polley, and redshirt freshman Akok Akok…next season the Huskies also welcome transfer R.J. Cole, who in two years at Howard was named the MEAC rookie of the year and player of the year.
Notre Dame (Head Coach: Mike Brey, Atlantic Coast Conference)
Mike Brey is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, having guided the Fighting Irish to more than 400 wins and 12 NCAA Tournament berths in 20 seasons…this season, Notre Dame is 20-12…sophomores Prentice Hubb and Dane Goodwin, both of whom are scoring in double digits this season, as well as fifth-year senior and shot blocker Juwan Durham, will lead the returning cast next season…Notre Dame will also welcome Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan, a former 4-star recruit who averaged 8.7 ppg at Stanford as a freshman…the Irish won the 2016 Legends Classic.
Southern California (Head Coach: Andy Enfield, Pac-12 Conference)
Now in his seventh season at USC, Andy Enfield has rebuilt the Trojans’ program…USC has won 108 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history…the Trojans are 22-9 this year, they’re fourth 20-win season under Enfield…USC is expected to return a strong young core in junior Elijah Weaver and sophomores Ethan Anderson, Isaiah Mobley, Max Agbonkpolo, and Kyle Sturdivant…they will be joined by the No. 2 recruit in the nation (per ESPN.com) in Evan Mobley, a 7-foot center from Temecula, Calif.
Vanderbilt (Head Coach: Jerry Stackhouse, Southeastern Conference)
Following a stellar 18-year pro playing career and a four-year pro coaching career, Jerry Stackhouse is in his first season at Vanderbilt…the Commodores sport a roster with six freshmen, four sophomores, and four juniors, led by a trio of double-figure scorers in sophomore Aaron Nesmith, who led the SEC in scoring before sustaining a season-ending foot injury, junior Saben Lee, and freshman Scotty Pippen, Jr…Vanderbilt will also welcome a pair of transfers in former 5-star recruit DJ Harvey (10.8 ppg at Notre Dame in 2018-19) and Quentin Millora-Brown (7.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg at Rice in 2018-19)…Vandy won the 2011 Legends Classic title.
In the 2019 Legends Classic, a pair of double-digit wins led then-No. 18 Auburn to the title. Austin Wiley, healthy for the first time, stormed through the competition to garner MVP honors, averaging 16.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg while shooting 12-of-15 from the floor. Teammate Samir Doughty averaged 20.5 ppg to lead all scorers. The Tigers downed New Mexico (84-59) and Richmond (79-65) to take home the trophy. New Mexico took third place with a 59-50 win over Wisconsin.
About the Legends Classic
Begun in 2007, the Legends Classic has become one of the nation’s most eagerly-anticipated early-season men’s basketball tournaments. Regularly attracting the top programs in the country, four teams from the nation’s most prestigious conferences host a pair of games before heading to Brooklyn, N.Y., and Barclays Center – the home of the Brooklyn Nets – to compete in the nationally televised Legends Classic Championship Rounds.
About the Gazelle Group
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 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Gotham Classic, the Sunshine Slam, and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.
About the Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference (NEC) is the sponsoring conference of the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. Now in its 39th season, the NEC is a NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. For more information on the NEC, visit the official website at www.northeastconference.org or follow on Twitter @NECsports.
About BSE Global
BSE Global manages and operates Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, and its NBA 2K League affiliate, NetsGC. The company also includes the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Through programming, marketing, sales, and operations, BSE Global delivers dynamic content and experiences for audiences.
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