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TicketCity Legends Classic Championship Rounds

November 19 & 21, 2011

Table of Contents

IZOD Center • East Rutherford, N.J. Nov. 19 Nov. 21

Vanderbilt vs. NC State Texas vs. Oregon State Consolation Game Championship Game

6:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m.

Regional Rounds

SubRegional Rounds

Austin Regional

Lewisburg Subregional

Frank Erwin Center • Austin, Texas

Sojka Pavilion • Lewisburg, Pa.

Nov. 13 Nov. 15

Boston University at Texas Rhode Island at Texas

7 p.m. 4 p.m.

Nashville Regional Memorial Gym • Nashville, Tenn. Nov. 13 Nov. 15

Cleveland State at Vanderbilt Bucknell at Vanderbilt

2 p.m. 8 p.m.

Raleigh Regional Morehead State at NC State Princeton at NC State

6 p.m. 7 p.m.

Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore. West Alabama at Oregon State Hofstra at Oregon State

Kingston Subregional Ryan Center Kingston, R.I.

Corvallis Regional Nov. 14 Nov. 16

Morehead St. vs. West Alabama 3:30 p.m. Princeton vs. Bucknell Princeton vs. Morehead State 2 p.m. West Alabama vs. Bucknell West Alabama vs. Princeton 2 p.m. Morehead State vs. Bucknell

•

RBC Center • Raleigh, N.C. Nov. 13 Nov. 16

Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Nov. 27

10 p.m. 10 p.m.

Nov. 25 Boston Univ. vs. Cleveland St. 2:30 p.m. Hofstra vs. Rhode Island Nov. 26 Cleveland State vs. Hofstra 2:30 p.m. Boston Univ. vs. Rhode Island Nov. 27 Hofstra vs. Boston University 12 p.m. Cleveland St. vs. Rhode Island all times Eastern

On The Cover Host Teams (clockwise from top): Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins, Oregon State’s Jared Cunningham, Texas’ J’Covan Brown, NC State’s Scott Wood. Non-Host Teams (by regional, left to right): Boston University’s D.J. Irving, Rhode Island’s Orion Outerbridge, Cleveland State’s Jeremy Montgomery, Bucknell’s Bryson Johnson, Morehead State’s Ty Proffitt, Princeton’s Douglas Davis, West Alabama’s Ryan Fitch, Hofstra’s Nathaniel Lester.

Credits The 2011 TicketCity Legends Classic is produced by: The Gazelle Group, Inc. 475 Wall Street • Princeton, N.J. 08540 (609) 921-1300 • fax (609) 921-2332 GazelleGroup.com

TicketCity Legends Classic

TicketCity Welcome............................. 1 Northeast Conference (NEC) Welcome..... 5 Where Has The Time Gone?................... 7 Game Notes..................................... 8-9 Austin Regional Texas Longhorns................................11 Boston University Terriers...................12 Rhode Island Rams.............................13 Nashville Regional Vanderbilt Commodores.......................14 Cleveland State Vikings.......................15 Bucknell Bison...................................16 Raleigh Regional NC State Wolfpack..............................18 Morehead State Eagles........................19 Princeton Tigers.................................20 Corvallis Regional Oregon State Beavers..........................21 West Alabama Tigers...........................22 Hofstra Pride.....................................23 Tournament Bracket...........................25 Team Rosters................................ 26-27 Tournament Preview...........................28 Legends of the Game..................... 30-39 Texas...........................................30 Vanderbilt....................................31 NC State.......................................33 Oregon State.................................34 Boston University & Bucknell..........36 Cleveland State & Hofstra...............37 Morehead State & Princeton............38 Rhode Island & West Alabama.........39 Year-by-Year Results...................... 41-42 Event Records............................... 44-45 IZOD Center.......................................46 Northeast Conference..................... 48-49 2011-12 Season Preview – Top 25.... 50-51 Other Gazelle Group Events..................52

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Welcome to the 2011 TicketCity Legends Classic As avid sports fans ourselves, the entire TicketCity team is honored to be part of this muchanticipated annual classic. A trusted source for tickets for more than 21 years, TicketCity specializes in tickets for all college sports and championship events. Our sales team provides personalized service seven days a week, ensuring an unforgettable experience every time. Congratulations to each of the 12 teams participating in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament, and thank you to each of the fans for coming out to support the great talent in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament. Enjoy the games!

Sincerely, Randy Cohen, TicketCity CEO

Welcome

November 2011 Dear Fans: On behalf of the Northeast Conference, we welcome you to the fifth annual TicketCity Legends Classic. We are honored to sponsor such a prestigious event which features some of the nation’s top programs. As a fan, over the span of two weeks you will experience some of the most exciting preseason match-ups of the 2011-12 men’s basketball season, with the culmination of the TicketCity Legends Classic occurring with championship round play at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. In addition to serving as a hoops showcase, the TicketCity Legends Classic was also established to honor former players and coaches from the participating teams who have made significant contributions to the sport. With “Legends” being recognized annually at the event, today’s fans will be provided with a greater appreciation for the rich tradition of college basketball. Now in its 31st year, the NEC is proud to serve as host of the TicketCity Legends Classic. Consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states, the NEC is committed to being an NCAA Division I leader for student-athlete achievement, integrity, sportsmanship, competitiveness and engagement in national policy. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Long Island University, Monmouth University, Mount St. Mary’s University, Quinnipiac University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, St. Francis (N.Y.) College, Saint Francis (Pa.) University and Wagner College. Bryant University, located in Smithfield, R.I., will officially become the NEC’s newest member in 2012 upon completion of its five-year NCAA Division I reclassification period. The NEC would like to express gratitude to the four regional hosts of the 2011 TicketCity Legends Classic: Texas, Vanderbilt, North Carolina State and Oregon State. Likewise, the NEC would also like to thank the IZOD Center for opening its doors to such an exciting event, as well as ESPN, for serving as broadcast partner for the TicketCity Legends Classic. We also would like to thank you, the fans, for your support of and tremendous enthusiasm for the sport of college basketball. Enjoy the action! Sincerely,

Noreen Morris Commissioner Northeast Conference

TicketCity Legends Classic

Noreen Morris Commissioner Northeast Conference

Where Has The Time Gone? That is actually a very fitting headline for the TicketCity Legends Classic. You see, when the tournament was started by Gazelle Group president Rick Giles, one of the caches of the event was to honor past greats of the participating teams. Of course, whenever you do that, it makes you wonder where the time has gone. Believe it or not, this year’s Classic is the fifth. It begs the question, Where has the time gone?

THE TEAMS It makes sense to start at the beginning and we are fortunate that the first TicketCity Legends Classic champion is making a return visit in 2011. Texas breezed through its two Regional Round games, beating ArkansasMonticello (coached by now West Alabama head coach Mike Newell) and UC Davis by an average of 39.5 points a game during that first TicketCity Legends Classic appearance in 2007. Sorry for the reminder, Mike. Texas, ranked No. 16 at the time, then came to the Prudential Center in Newark and took down New Mexico State and No. 7 Tennessee by an average of 17 points a game to take home the title.

Texas, 2007 Pittsburgh would dominate the 2008 Classic. The Panthers beat Indiana (Pa.) and Akron before their trip to Newark, where they were ranked No. 4 and downed Texas Tech and Washington State. The venue changed in 2009, as did the margin of victory. The match-up everyone was looking forward to saw No. 2 Michigan State take on unranked Florida in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. With the game tied for much of the second half, Florida’s Dan Werner hit two free throws in the final seconds of regulation to lead the Gators to a 77-74 triumph. Florida would go on to win the tournament with a 15-point victory over Rutgers. Although unranked at the time, the Gators would use the TicketCity Legends Classic to ultimately reach a high of No. 10 in the national polls. Michigan State would use the TicketCity Legends Classic as a springboard to the Final Four that year.

Syracuse, 2010 The Championship Rounds of last year’s TicketCity Legends Classic in Atlantic City witnessed the closest games to date. No. 10 Syracuse began with a 53-50 win over Michigan in the semifinals before facing Georgia Tech. The Orange, trailing by five, used a 22-4 second half run to capture an 80-76 decision and the Legends trophy.

THE PLAYERS Some of the performances we have seen in the TicketCity Legends Classic may stand the test of time. Although only in its fifth year, some already have. Texas was so dominant in its initial appearance that several records from that inaugural Classic remain standing. A.J. Abrams still holds eight records, including points in the tournament (103) and Championship Round (52). Teammate D.J. Augustin still has all three assists records (game, tournament, and Championship Rounds). He also has the most turnovers in the tournament and Championship Rounds as well. Last year, Rick Jackson of Syracuse singlehandedly rewrote the rebounding section of the record book by hauling down 58 rebounds in four games, including 26 in the Championship Rounds. He also set the standard with his 22 caroms against Detroit in the opener for the Orange. Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado blocked 21 shots in four games in 2008, including eight against Fairleigh Dickinson in Regional Round play. Both remain at the top of the list. Brandon Wood of Valparaiso scored a tournament record 39 points against Georgia Southern in the 2009 Subregional Round. Then you have those whose names do not appear in the record book but who had tremendous college careers, players like Kalin Lucas of Michigan State, Chandler Parsons of Florida, Randy Culpepper of UTEP, Marques Blakley of Vermont, Ryan Wittman of Cornell, DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, and Da’Sean Butler of West Virginia, to name a few.

TicketCity Legends Classic

THE LEGENDS What is so special about the TicketCity Legends Classic is not only the present, but the past. One of the nice things about sports is its ability to bridge the generation gap. By honoring the legends, it not only gives them a chance to again be recognized for their truly marvelous achievements, but it introduces them to another generation of fan and student. A quick look at some of those honored as part of the event makes you realize how special the TicketCity Legends Classic truly is. There are Hall of Famers, NBA players, and the NBA logo himself. There are Rhodes Scholars, social travel blazers, and a guy who could have been president of the United States. Do yourself a favor and read the biographies of the legends in the back of this program, especially those with whom you may not be familiar. Read about A.C. Green, Richard Taylor, and Perry Wallace and what they did with their lives. Read about Bill Bradley, David Thompson, and LaSalle Thompson and remember how good they really were. Read about Ernie Calverley and “The Shot.” Read about recent legends such as Speedy Claxton, Norris Cole, and J.R. Holden. Read about M.K. Turk and Lamar Green. Who knows, in 20 years you may be sharing your memories of D.J. Augustin and Rick Jackson with your children or grandchildren. This is what the TicketCity Legends Classic is about.

Greg Kelser, Michigan State, Honored in 2009

Game Notes THE MAIN EVENT The TicketCity Legends Classic is fast becoming one of the nation’s premier early-season college basketball tournaments. Twelve teams from across the nation will compete in the fifth annual event with Texas, Vanderbilt, NC State, and Oregon State serving as regional hosts. Regional action takes place from Nov. 13-16 with the four hosts advancing to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 19 & 21, at IZOD Center in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The remainder of the field will participate in Subregionals held in Kingston, R.I., and Lewisburg, Pa., Nov. 25-27. Joining the four Championship Round hosts in the Legends Classic are Boston University, Bucknell, Cleveland State, Hofstra, Morehead State, Princeton, Rhode Island, and West Alabama. ABOUT THE LEGENDS CLASSIC PROGRAM A unique feature of the TicketCity Legends Classic is the annual recognition of former players and coaches from the participating institutions who have made a significant contribution to the sport of college basketball. These legends are honored on the individual campuses either during the event or at a more convenient time during the season.

PRESEASON ATTENTION Three Vanderbilt players are listed among the 50 players on the preseason John R. Wooden Award watch list - Festus Ezeli, John Jenkins, and Jeffery Taylor. Only North Carolina with four honorees has more while Ohio State is the only other team with three.

NEW DIGS This year marks the first time that IZOD Center will host the TicketCity Legends Classic. The Classic spent the last two years at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.. The first two years (2007, 2008) the event was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. ALMOST ALL NEW FACES Being that this is only the fifth TicketCity Legends Classic, nearly the entire field is new to the event. That is, all expect Texas, which won the inaugural Legends Classic in 2007. Ranked No. 16 at the time, the Longhorns defeated ArkansasMonticello (100-52) and UC Davis (73-42) in Regional Round play before heading to the Prudential Center in Newark for the Championship Rounds. There, Texas took down New Mexico State (102-87) in the semifinals before beating No. 7 Tennessee (97-78) to win the title. PUNCH YOUR TICKET Since the beginning of the TicketCity Legends Classic in 2007, all four champions have gone on to the NCAA Tournament. In 2007, Classic champion Texas reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament while runner-up Tennessee and West Virginia made it to the Sweet 16. In 2008, Pittsburgh won the tournament and, like Texas, reached the Elite Eight. Mississippi State and Akron each garnered NCAA bids while Washington State, which dropped the title game to the Panthers, made the NIT. In 2009, Michigan State won the consolation game and later advanced to the Final Four.

Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings

TicketCity Legends Classic

Cornell, which won its Regional Round game as well as all three of its Subregional Round games, advanced to the Sweet 16 – the farthest it had ever gone in the NCAA Tournament. Legends Classic champion Florida earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament while Troy was accorded a berth in the NIT. Last year, Syracuse used its championship to springboard to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as did Michigan, which lost in the Legends consolation game. UTEP also reached the postseason by earning an NIT berth. CATAPULTING INTO THE RANKINGS Florida entered the 2009 Legends Classic unranked. However, dominant Regional Round wins over Troy and Georgia Southern preceded a stunning 77-74 win over No. 2 Michigan State and a 73-58 championship game victory versus Rutgers resulted in the Gators going from unranked to No. 13 in the nation two days after the Legends Classic concluded. In the short history of the event, two Legends Classic participants eventually reached No. 1 in the polls. In 2007, No. 7 Tennessee, which lost in the title game to No. 16 Texas, would move into the top spot in the week of Feb. 25, 2008. In 2008, Legends champ and fourth-ranked Pittsburgh would eventually move to No. 1 for three weeks. THE MAN He was the man but he wasn’t even named Tournament MVP in 2007. In leading Texas to the title, A.J. Abrams set eight Legends Classic records that still stand, including points in a tournament (103), points in the Championship Rounds (52), field goals in a tournament (39), and 3-point field goals in a tournament (23), nine of which came in a semifinal win against New Mexico State. That, too, is still a record. So who did receive MVP honors? Teammate D.J. Augustin, who is currently a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. SELECT COMPANY In the last four NBA drafts, 13 players who have played in the TicketCity Legends Classic have been selected. Last year, four alumns were chosen, led by first round selection (17th overall) Iman Shumpert of Georgia Tech by the New York Knicks. Second round choices included Florida’s Chandler Parsons (38th by Houston), Darius Morris of Michigan (41st by the Los Angeles Lakers), and Florida’s Vernon Macklin (52nd by Detroit).

Game Notes THE UNTOUCHABLES Of the 47 teams that have participated in the TicketCity Legends Classic since 2007, five remain undefeated in Classic play. Tournament champions Texas (2007), Pittsburgh (2008), Florida (2009), and Syracuse (2010) each went 4-0, as did Cornell in 2009.

TicketCity Legends Classic

By The Numbers...

3 – Number of unranked teams that used the TicketCity Legends Classic to springboard into the following week’s national polls. 3 – Number of players Vanderbilt has on this year’s preseason Wooden Award watch list.

HOSTS WITH THE MOST The four Regional Round hosts of the TicketCity Legends Classic have combined for 77 NCAA appearances.

5 – Number of teams that have entered the TicketCity Legends Classic ranked in one of the two major polls.

LEGENDS OF THE GAME Following is a complete list of those legends who have been honored as part of the Legends Classic:

6 – Number of steals for Brian McNair of Gardner-Webb in a 56-55 loss to William & Mary on Nov. 26, 2010, tying the Classic record for thefts.

2007 Lou Henson - New Mexico State (Coach, 1966-2005) Bernard King - Tennessee (Player, 1974-77) Slater Martin - Texas (Player, 1943, 1946-49) Jerry West - West Virginia (Player, 1956-60) 2008 Craig Ehlo - Washington State (Player, 1981-83) Bailey Howell - Mississippi State (Player, 1957-59) Brandin Knight - Pittsburgh (Player, 1999-2003) Gerald Myers - Texas Tech (Player/Coach, 1956-59/1971-91) 2009 Ron Brewer - Arkansas-Fort Smith (Player, 1974-75) Bob Buckley - Drexel (Player, 1954-57) Taylor Coppenrath - Vermont (Player, 2001-05) Andrew DeClercq - Florida (Player, 1991-95) Bryce Drew - Valparaiso (Player, 1994-98) Greg Kelser - Michigan State (Player, 1975-79) Jim McCoy - Massachusetts (Player, 1988-92) Steve Mix - Toledo (Player, 1966-69) Anthony Reed - Troy (Player, 1986-90) Chuck Rolles - Cornell (Player, 1953-56) Phil Sellers - Rutgers (Player, 1972-76) Chester Webb - Georgia Southern (Player, 1952-56)

8 – Number of records still held by Texas’ A.J. Abrams from the first Legends Classic in 2007. Calvin Murphy, Niagara, Honored in 2010

2010 George Adams - Gardner-Webb (Player, 1969-72) Earl Cureton - Detroit (Player, 1978-80) Chet Giermak - William & Mary (Player, 1947-50) Don Haskins - UTEP (Coach, 1961-99) Gary Holway - Albany (Player, 1955-59) Malcolm Mackey - Georgia Tech (Player, 1989-93) Anquell McCollum - Western Carolina (Player, 1992-96) Sam Mitchell - Mercer (Player, 1981-85) Calvin Murphy - Niagara (Player, 1967-70) Jalen Rose - Michigan (Player, 1991-94) Nate Thurmond - Bowling Green (Player, 1960-63) John Wallace - Syracuse (Player, 1992-96)

44 – Number of legends who have been honored in the five years of the Legends Classic. 58 – Number of rebounds Syracuse’s Rick Jackson hauled down to set a Classic record in 2010. 58 – Number of teams, including this year, that have participated in the Legends Classic. 77 – Number of combined NCAA Tournament appearances by the four Regional Round hosts – Texas, Vanderbilt, NC State, and Oregon State.

2011 Bill Bradley - Princeton (Player, 1963-65) Ernie Calverley - Rhode Island (Player/Coach, 1943-46/1958-68) Speedy Claxton - Hofstra (Player, 1997-2000) Norris Cole - Cleveland State (Player, 2008-11) A.C. Green - Oregon State (Player, 1982-85) Lamar Green - Morehead State (Player, 1967-69) J.R. Holden - Bucknell (Player, 1995-98) Richard Taylor - Boston University (Player, 1969-71) David Thompson - NC State (Player, 1973-75) LaSalle Thompson - Texas (Player, 1980-82) M.K. Turk - West Alabama (Player, 1962-64) Perry Wallace - Vanderbilt (Player, 1968-70)

TicketCity Legends Classic

14 – Number of teams which participated in the Classic that advanced to postseason play the following March.

Texas Longhorns QUICK FACTS School...............................University of Texas Location....................................Austin, Texas Enrollment.......................................... 51,145 Founded.................................................1883 Nickname.......................................Longhorns Colors............................Burnt Orange & White Home Facility........Frank Erwin Center (16,734) President............................ William Powers, Jr. Director of Athletics....................DeLoss Dodds Web Site........................ www.TexasSports.com Head Coach.................................. Rick Barnes Record at School.............. 322-123 (13 years) Career Record................... 524-257 (24 years) 2010-11 Record....................................... 28-8 Conference........................................Big 12 Conference Record (Finish)........... 13-3 (2nd) Postseason........................NCAA Third Round

Most outside the Texas program will point to what was lost from last year’s 22-8 team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and earned a No. 8 ranking in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. A trio of underclassmen in Tristan Thompson (No. 4) Jordan Hamilton (No. 26) and Cory Joseph (No. 29) turned professional following the season and were taken in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft. All told, the Longhorns lost all five starters and seven letterwinners from last season’s rotation. Despite the losses, the expectations and goals remain the same for the program as the Longhorns seek their 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Rick Barnes. The Texas back court should feature one of the best combinations in the Big 12 in junior J’Covan Brown and freshman Myck Kabongo. A preseason All-Big 12 first-team selection, Brown (10.4 ppg) averaged a team-best 22 points in the Longhorns’ two NCAA Tournament contests last season. He was a perfect 25-25 from the free throw line in the NCAA Tournament and tied a program single-season record for 20-point performances off the bench with five. A true point guard and leader who earned McDonald’s All-America

Head Coach Rick Barnes

and Jordan Brand All-America honors last season, the 6-1 Kabongo was ranked as the No. 11 prospect nationally in the ESPNU 100. In addition to Kabongo, a trio of freshmen should also make immediate contributions in the back court. Sheldon McClellan is an explosive athlete who was ranked the No. 47 prospect nationally in the ESPNU 100. Julien Lewis earned fourth-team All-America honors by Parade Magazine, while Sterling Gibbs, who should see most of his action at the point, set Seton Hall Prep’s career scoring record with 1,984 points. A pair of juniors, Dean Melchionni and Andrew Dick, will add depth to the back court rotation. The Longhorns return a pair of fifth-year seniors in Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene to the front court rotation. Chapman did not play last season but averaged 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 2009-10. The 6-7 Wangmene (2.3 rpg) played in 34 contests in 2010-11 and knocked down 17 field goals from beyond the arc. A pair of freshmen will compete for immediate playing time in the front court. Jaylen Bond earned Pennsylvania’s 4A Player of the Year honor by the Associated Press, while 6-7 Jonathan Holmes was ranked as the No. 62 prospect nationally in the ESPNU 100. ELITE COMPANY: Texas is one of just six schools to have advanced to each of the last 13 NCAA Tournaments (1999-2011). Joining the Horns in this group are Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Texas has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of Rick Barnes’ 13 seasons in Austin. EFFICIENT SCORER: Junior J’Covan Brown ranked fourth on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg) and registered five 20-point performances despite not starting any of the Longhorns’ 36 contests and playing just 21.1 minutes per game in 201011. Brown also ranked third on the team in steals with 31. DID YOU KNOW…: Texas is the first team in the fiveyear history of the TicketCity Legends Classic to return to the event. The Longhorns won the inaugural 2007 tournament.

TicketCity Legends Classic

Rick Barnes Head Coach 14th season 524-257 overall (24 years)

Sheldon McClellan Fr. • G 6-4 • 200 first season

1 Jonathan Holmes Fr. • F 6-7 • 239 first season

10 Myck Kabongo Fr. • G 6-1 • 169 first season

12 J’Covan Brown Jr. • G 6-1 • 197

10.4 ppg 2.2 rpg

Alexis Wangmene Sr. • F/C 6-7 • 241

2.3 ppg 2.3 rpg

Boston University Terriers Joe Jones Head Coach first season 86-108 overall (seven years)

Darryl Partin Sr. • G 6-6 • 190

14.3 ppg 3.4 rpg

Matt Griffin Sr. • G 5-10 • 180

6.4 ppg 2.6 rpg

D.J. Irving So. • G 6-0 • 165 8.0 ppg 3.6 apg

13 Dom Morris So. • F 6-7 • 240

5.7 ppg 4.6 rpg

Patrick Hazel Sr. • F 6-6 • 220

4.6 ppg 5.8 rpg

Boston University, the defending America East champions, enters the 2011-12 season with a new head coach in Joe Jones, who spent the previous year as associate head coach at Boston College after leading Columbia for seven seasons. Jones inherits a squad that returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year’s 21-14 team. That team saw its 11-game winning streak snapped at the hands of topranked Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers’ lone missing starter, John Holland, leaves a big void after averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game last season. The Terriers will look to senior guard Darryl Partin to elevate his game even further on the offensive end. A first-team All-Conference selection, Partin (14.3 ppg) averaged 16.9 points in league action and knocked down 64 3-pointers on the year. Joining Partin in the back court will be sophomore point guard D.J. Irving (8.0 ppg), who led the Terriers in assists (3.6 apg). Irving seeks to carry the momentum from his strong performance against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament in which he recorded 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Other key returnees include senior forward Patrick Hazel, senior guard Matt Griffin, and sophomore forward Dom Morris. Hazel (4.6 ppg) started 30 games last season and his 64 blocked shots marked the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. Griffin (6.4 ppg) shot a team-high 45.8 percent (54-118) from beyond the arc, while the 6-7 Morris (5.7 ppg) averaged 4.6 rebounds and joined Irving on the America East All-Rookie team. The Terriers will look to gel quickly under Jones as they face a challenging non-conference schedule that includes at least 10 opponents that participated in postseason action last season, highlighted by trips to Boston College, Texas, and Villanova. With an abundance of talent and experience at his disposal, Jones will look to lead BU to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history and third consecutive 20-win season.

DARRYL PARTIN

TicketCity Legends Classic

QUICK FACTS School................................ Boston University Location................................... Boston, Mass. Enrollment.......................................... 16,572 Founded.................................................1839 Nickname........................................... Terriers Colors..................................Scarlet and White Home Facilities............. Agganis Arena (7,200); Case Gymnasium (1,800) President............................... Robert A. Brown Director of Athletics...................... Mike Lynch Web Site.......................... www.GoTerriers.com Head Coach.....................................Joe Jones Record at School........................... First Year Career Record...................... 86-108 (7 years) 2010-11 Record......................................21-14 Conference.............................. America East Conference Record (Finish)........... 2nd (12-4) Postseason..................... NCAA Second Round

PUNCHING ITS TICKET: After overcoming a 15-point second half deficit against Stony Brook in the America East title game, Boston University advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history and first time since 2002 with its 56-54 win. NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN: Joe Jones was named the Terriers’ 25th head coach on June 23. He replaced Patrick Chambers, who departed in June to take the reins at Penn State. Other coaches to walk the sidelines at BU include current Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, former Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester, and current Florida Atlantic head coach Mike Jarvis. FINE AT THE LINE: BU led the America East Conference in free throw shooting for the second consecutive season at 72.9 percent, marking the first time since 2005 that a team repeated as the top free throw shooting team in the conference. Sophomore D.J. Irving is the Terriers’ top returning foul shooter after knocking down 84.5 percent (98-116) of his attempts last season. BIG SHOES TO FILL: 2011 graduate John Holland concluded his standout collegiate career as one of just two players in America East history (Reggie Lewis is the other) to record at least 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 200 steals. Holland became the first-ever player to go directly from the collegiate ranks to the Puerto Rico National Team after appearing in the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship in August.

Rhode Island Rams QUICK FACTS School.................... University of Rhode Island Location................................... Kingston, R.I. Enrollment.......................................... 16,392 Founded.................................................1892 Nickname.............................................. Rams Colors.......... Keaney Blue, Dark Blue and White Home Facility... Thomas M. Ryan Center (7,657) President........................... Dr. David M. Dooley Director of Athletics...................... Thorr Bjorn Web Site............................ www.GoRhody.com Head Coach.................................... Jim Baron Record at School.............. 177-143 (10 years) Career Record................... 383-344 (24 years) 2010-11 Record......................................20-14 Conference.................................Atlantic 10 Conference Record (Finish)..............9-7 (6th) Postseason..........................CBI Quarterfinals

Despite graduating two of its top three scorers, Rhode Island looks to combine a solid trio of returning players with a talented class of newcomers for the 2011-12 season. The Runnin’ Rams are coming off their fourth consecutive 20-win campaign. Over the last five years, Rhode Island has won 109 games - the most in program history during any five-year span. Junior forward Nikola Malesevic is the team’s top returning scorer, having averaged 10.3 points during his breakout sophomore campaign in 2010-11. The 6-7 Serbian connected on 51 percent (133-261) of his shots from the field, including 45.8 percent (54-118) from 3-point range, a year ago. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds and recorded 32 steals. Seniors Jamal Wilson and Orion Outerbridge are poised to make an impact in their final seasons wearing Keaney Blue. Wilson, a 6-5 guard, averaged 5.1 points and entered the starting lineup for the Rams’ final eight games of the season. An athletic 6-9 forward, Outerbridge (6.8 ppg) has steadily improved his ability to score in the post and on the perimeter in becoming one of the more versatile players in the Atlantic 10 Conference. URI also welcomes back a trio of reserves who will provide depth and size in the front court. Junior Ryan Brooks (1.7 ppg) is an athletic forward who blocked 16 shots while averaging 10.8 minutes in 2010-11. Bruising Levan Shengelia, a 6-8 red-shirt freshman, has recovered from a knee injury suffered in Rhody’s season opener a year ago.

NIKOLA MALESEVIC

Sophomore center Blake Vedder should also challenge for playing time. At 7-3, he is the tallest player in program history and has put on more than 20 pounds since last season. Transfers Andre Malone, a junior guard from Auburn, and Billy Baron, a sophomore guard from Virginia, are eligible to suit up for the Rams on Dec. 23 and should make an immediate impact. Malone appeared in 11 games last year for Auburn, averaging 11.7 points and 3.4 rebounds while connecting on 45 percent (2454) of his attempts from beyond the arc. Baron averaged three points in 17 contests for the Cavaliers before opting to return home to play for his father, head coach Jim Baron. A class of five newcomers is poised to make an impact in their first seasons in Kingston. Point guard Mike Powell, off-guard TJ Buchanan, combo forwards Rayvon Harris and Dominique McKoy, and versatile small forward Jonathan Holton should all compete for playing time in the Rams up-tempo system. ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE: Entering his 11th season in Kingston, head coach Jim Baron will play one of the more challenging non-conference schedules in the nation. URI will square off against nine teams that advanced to postseason play in 2010-11, including perennial NCAA participants Texas (in the TicketCity Legends Classic) and George Mason. QUITE A TURNAROUND: After playing sparingly in 16 games as a freshman in 2009-10, forward Nikola Malesevic blossomed into one of the most improved players in the A-10 as a sophomore. Malesevic averaged 10.3 points and shot 45.8 percent (54-118) from beyond the arc while adding 4.3 rebounds per game. He led URI in scoring four times in 2010-11. DON’T LEAVE EARLY: Six of Rhode Island’s 34 contests last season were decided by just two points. The Rams were an impressive 5-1 in the aforementioned games, including a 3-1 home mark in such contests. RAM-TOUGH IN NOVEMBER: Over the past four seasons, Rhode Island boasts an impressive 21-5 record in the month of November. The Rams will play seven games in November in 2011-12, including home contests against 2011 postseason participants Hofstra, Boston University, and Cleveland State in the TicketCity Legends Classic.

TicketCity Legends Classic

Jim Baron Head Coach 11th season 383-344 overall (24 years)

Jamal Wilson Sr. • G 6-5 • 195

5.1 ppg 3.6 rpg

Levan Shengelia So. • F 6-9 • 260 first season

11 Orion Outerbridge Sr. • F 6-9 • 210

6.8 ppg 3.0 rpg

Nikola Malesevic Jr. • F 6-7 • 200

10.3 ppg 4.3 rpg

Ryan Brooks Jr. • F 6-8 • 220

1.7 ppg 1.7 rpg

Vanderbilt Commodores Kevin Stallings Head Coach 13th season 359-211 overall (18 years)

Brad Tinsley Sr. • G 6-3 • 210

10.6 ppg 4.6 apg

Lance Goulbourne Sr. • F 6-8 • 225

6.9 ppg 7.3 rpg

John Jenkins Jr. • G 6-4 • 215

19.5 ppg 3.0 rpg

Steve Tchiengang Sr. • F 6-9 • 245

4.8 ppg 3.0 rpg

Jeffery Taylor Sr. • F 6-7 • 225

14.7 ppg 5.5 rpg

Expectations for this year’s Commodore basketball team may be the highest in the program’s history, with all five starters returning including three All-Southeastern Conference selections - from last season’s 23-11 squad. With 10 letterwinners back in the fold and a stellar recruiting class entering the mix, numerous publications have Vanderbilt in its preseason top 10 for the first time since the All-American Clyde Lee-led teams in 1964 and 1965. Few teams possess the one-two scoring punch that Vanderbilt will feature this season with the return of 6-4 junior guard John Jenkins (19.5 ppg) and 6-7 senior swingman Jeffery Taylor (14.7 ppg). A first-team AllConference selection a year ago, Jenkins led the SEC in scoring, while his 100 3-point field goals made were the fourth-highest single-season total in the history of the program. Twice named to the All-SEC second-team, the 6-7 Taylor registered five 20-point performances last season and led the Commodores with 35 steals. Taylor and Jenkins were joined on the 201112 John R. Wooden Award Preseason watch list by 6-11 senior center Festus Ezeli. Vanderbilt is one of just three teams in the nation to boast three candidates for the prestigious award. Ezeli averaged 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds a game last year and set a program single-season record with 87 blocks. Senior point guard Brad Tinsley averaged 10.6 points and led the SEC in assists (4.6 apg), while 6-8 senior forward Lance Goulbourne (6.9 ppg) led the Commodores in rebounding (7.3 rpg) a year ago. Six-nine senior forward Steve Tchiengang (4.8 ppg), 6-11 redshirt freshman center Josh Henderson, and 6-9 sophomore Rod Odom (3.9 ppg), who played in every game last season and knocked down 28 field goals from beyond the arc, will provide front court depth. In addition to the always challenging slate of SEC contests, 13thyear head coach Kevin Stallings has challenged the Commodores with a difficult non-conference schedule that includes games against 2011 NCAA participants Texas, Louisville, Marquette, and Xavier.

TicketCity Legends Classic

QUICK FACTS School............................Vanderbilt University Location................................ Nashville, Tenn. Enrollment............................................6,738 Founded.................................................1873 Nickname.................................... Commodores Colors......................................Black and Gold Home Facility.....Memorial Gymnasium (14,316) Chancellor.............................. Nicholas Zeppos Director of Athletics...............David Williams II Web Site................... www.VUCommodores.com Head Coach..............................Kevin Stallings Record at School.............. 236-148 (12 years) Career Record................... 359-211 (18 years) 2010-11 Record......................................23-11 Conference.............................. Southeastern Conference Record (Finish)... 9-7 (3rd in East) Postseason..........................................NCAA

A GRAND HAPPENING: In 2010-11, Jeffery Taylor became the 41st player in Vanderbilt history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Junior John Jenkins is 16 points away from the milestone, while senior Brad Tinsley is 71 points away. If senior Festus Ezeli repeats his statistical campaign of a year ago, he would also surpass the 1,000-point mark in 2011-12. SUCCESS ON THE BENCH: Head coach Kevin Stallings has registered six 20-win seasons in the last eight years with five NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the Sweet 16 (2004 and 2007). Now in his 13th season in Nashville, Stallings’ 236 victories rank second in program history, behind only Roy Skinner (278). A LINE OF SUCCESS: For the second consecutive season, Vanderbilt led the SEC in free throws made and attempts both in all games and in conference play. Vanderbilt attempted 837 free throws on the season - an average of 24.6 attempts per game - and made 622 (18.3 per game). In league play, the Commodores attempted 383 free throws (23.9 per game) and connected on 288 of those attempts (18.0 per game). AN ARC OF SUCCESS: Vanderbilt has made at least one 3-point field goal in 796 consecutive games, a streak which began at the inception of the 3-point line in 1986-87. The Commodores rank second only to UNLV for the longest streak in Division I.

John Jenkins

Cleveland State Vikings QUICK FACTS School.....................Cleveland State University Location.................................Cleveland, Ohio Enrollment......................................... 17, 232 Founded.................................................1929 Nickname........................................... Vikings Colors................................... Green and White Home Facility.............. Wolstein Center (8,500) President...................... Dr. Ronald M. Berkman Director of Athletics...................... John Parry Web Site.........................www.CSUVikings.com Head Coach.................................. Gary Waters Record at School................. 100-71 (5 years) Career Record................... 271-206 (15 years) 2010-11 Record....................................... 27-9 Conference..................................... Horizon Conference Record (Finish)....... 13-5 (Tie 1st) Postseason........................ NIT Second Round

Cleveland State enters the 2011-12 season with high expectations after claiming its first Horizon League regular-season crown in school history and advancing to the second round of the NIT. CSU lost just one starter - first round NBA draft pick Norris Cole - and three reserves from last year’s 27-9 team and adds a number of pieces that should be fixtures in the lineup for the next four years. The Vikings welcome back starters Jeremy Montgomery, Trevon Harmon, Tim Kamczyc, and Aaron Pogue, each of whom averaged at least 25 minutes a game last season. Harmon, a preseason first-team All-Horizon League selection, averaged 13.2 points last season as a junior and led the Vikings with 61 3-point field goals. He will be joined in the back court by Montgomery (11.6 ppg), a 6-2 senior who ranks fifth in the program’s record book with 151 career 3-point field goals. The 6-9 senior Pogue (8.2 ppg) grabbed a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 51.6 percent (111215) from the floor. Kamczyc, a 6-7 junior, averaged 5.9 points and 3.7 boards while starting all 36 contests a year ago. CSU will also be bolstered by the return of senior guard D’Aundray Brown, a Horizon League AllDefensive team selection in 2009-10 who missed all of last season with a hand injury. The 6-4 Brown provides great energy and averaged 8.6 points and registered an astounding 81 steals while starting every game as a junior.

Trevon Harmon

Gary Waters

Sophomore forwards Devon Long (2.0 ppg) and Luda Ndaye (1.1 ppg) will provide depth in the front court, while red-shirt freshman combo guard Sebastian Douglas could earn valuable minutes after missing last season with a knee injury. The Vikings’ coaching staff is excited about its incoming freshman class which includes guards Charles Lee and Ike Nwamu and forwards Anton Grady and Marlin Mason. Grady is the nephew of NBA guard Earl Boykins. With a blend of depth, experience and strong guard play, sixth-year head coach Gary Waters will look to lead the program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 and third time in school history. TWO GRAND: Seniors Jeremy Montgomery (988) and Trevon Harmon (923) are poised to become the 19th and 20th players in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone this season. In addition, they seek to become just the second Cleveland State duo to reach the mark in the same season. THE LEAD VIKING: Head coach Gary Waters enters his sixth season on the sidelines at Cleveland State with 100 victories with the Vikings, which ranks him third in school history. The Vikings won 27 games last season, the program’s second-highest single-season total ever. Waters has 271 victories in 15 seasons as a head coach. GETTING DEFENSIVE: Senior Trevon Harmon is regarded as one of the top defensive players in the Horizon League and was named to the Mid-Major Defensive All-America team by CollegeInsider.com last season. Harmon recorded 55 steals for the Vikings, who limited opponents to 63.6 ppg. and 41.4 percent shooting on the year. Remarkably, the Cleveland State defense could be even better in 2011-12 with the return of senior forward D’Aundray Brown, who missed all of last season due to injury. Brown was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team as a junior in 2009-10 after recording 81 steals. FAMILY AFFAIR: Freshman forward Anton Grady is the nephew of current NBA player Earl Boykins, who played at Eastern Michigan when current CSU head coach Gary Waters was an assistant coach. Boykins is currently with the Milwaukee Bucks.

TicketCity Legends Classic

Head Coach sixth season 271-206 overall (15 years)

Trevon Harmon Sr. • G 6-1 • 185

13.2 ppg 4.0 rpg

Jeremy Montgomery Sr. • G 6-2 • 190

11.6 ppg 2.6 rpg

D’Aundray Brown Sr. • G 6-4 • 185 did not play

32 Tim Kamczyc Jr. • F 6-7 • 200

5.9 ppg 3.7 rpg

Aaron Pogue Sr. • F 6-9 • 265

8.2 ppg 6.1 rpg

Bucknell Bison Dave Paulsen Head Coach fourth season 308-169 overall (17 years)

Bryan Cohen Sr. • G 6-5 • 199

7.0 ppg 3.9 rpg

Bryson Johnson Jr. • G 6-1 • 181

11.7 ppg 2.0 rpg

Joe Willman Jr. • F 6-6 • 201

7.6 ppg 4.6 rpg

Mike Muscala Jr. • F/C 6-10 • 223

14.9 ppg 7.3 rpg

Cameron Ayers So. • G 6-5 • 200

7.5 ppg 2.0 rpg

Bucknell has lofty aspirations once again in 2011-12, coming off a 25-win season, Patriot League regular-season and tournament championships, and the fifth NCAA Tournament berth in the history of the program. The Bison rebounded from a 2-6 start by winning 23 of their next 25 games before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Bison return four starters from last year’s championship squad, including the 2011 Patriot League Player of the Year, Mike Muscala. Muscala led the team in both scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg), while his 67 blocks were tops in the conference. The 6-10 junior center recorded nine 20-point games and became the 13th player in school history to record 500 points in a season (507). Senior guard Bryan Cohen (7.0 ppg) started all 34 contests and was tabbed as the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Also returning is junior Bryson Johnson (11.7 ppg), who ranked among the national leaders in both 3-pointers made (99) and 3-point field goal percentage (.456) a year ago in earning second-team All-Conference distinction. The 6-1 guard committed just 37 turnovers in 34 contests and enters the 2011-12 campaign with 166 career 3-pointers. The Bison are expecting big contributions from junior forward Joe Willman (7.6 ppg), a two-year starter, and sophomore guard Cameron Ayers (7.5 ppg), who was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie squad a year ago. Sophomore Ryan Hill (20 assists), who appeared in every game, and 6-2 freshman Steven Kaspar will be looked upon to fill the void at point guard due to the graduation of Darryl Shazier (8.3 ppg, 5.4 apg). Following just the second 25-win season in program history (the 2005-06 team won 27 games), fourth-year head coach Dave Paulsen has assembled a challenging non-conference schedule that includes seven contests against teams that advanced to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Paulsen was named the 2011 Patriot League Coach of the Year and enters the season with a career record of 308-169.

Mike Muscala

TicketCity Legends Classic

QUICK FACTS School ............................. Bucknell University Location.................................. Lewisburg, Pa. Enrollment............................................3,583 Founded.................................................1846 Nickname..............................................Bison Colors....................................Orange and Blue Home Facility................ Sojka Pavilion (4,000) President...............................John C. Bravman Director of Athletics................... John P. Hardt Web Site.................... www.BucknellBison.com Head Coach................................ Dave Paulsen Record at School................... 46-49 (3 years) Career Record................... 308-169 (17 years) 2010-11 Record....................................... 25-9 Conference....................................... Patriot Conference Record (Finish)............ 13-1 (1st) Postseason..........................................NCAA

BOMBS AWAY: Junior Bryson Johnson ranked among the national leaders in both 3-point field goals made (99, tied for 18th) and 3-point field goal percentage (.456, seventh) last season. Johnson shattered the program’s single-season record of 79 3-pointers, previously held by John Griffin and Kevin Bettencourt, and knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 31 of the Bison’s 34 games, including 23 in a row during one stretch. A JOB WELL DONE: Head coach Dave Paulsen was named the 2011 Patriot League Coach of the Year as well as a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award. Paulsen reached the 300-win milestone in 2010-11 and enters this season with a career mark of 308-169, which includes a threeyear record of 46-49 with the Bison. HOME COOKIN’: Bucknell went 14-1 at home last season, including a 10-0 mark versus Patriot League rivals, to improve to 84-29 (.743) all-time at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison will play 14 home contests in 2011-12, highlighted by three games in the TicketCity Legends Classic and a Dec. 17 visit by 2011 Sweet 16 participant Richmond. STRAIGHT SHOOTERS: The 2010-11 Bison squad established program records for both free throw percentage (.788) and 3-point field goals made (234). Sophomore Cameron Ayers led the Bison in free throw percentage (.873), while Bryson Johnson (99 3-pointers) is one of three returnees who knocked down at least 26 field goals from beyond the arc a year ago. Bucknell made 38 more free throws and 15 more 3-point field goals than its opponents last season.

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NC State Wolfpack Mark Gottfried Head Coach first season 278-154 overall (14 years)

Richard Howell Jr. • F 6-8 • 250

7.4 ppg 6.5 rpg

Lorenzo Brown So. • G 6-5 • 189

9.3 ppg 3.7 apg

C.J. Leslie So. • F 6-8 • 209

11.0 ppg 7.2 rpg

Scott Wood Jr. • F 6-6 • 175

9.7 ppg 2.6 rpg

C.J. Williams Sr. • G/F 6-5 • 224

4.7 ppg 2.4 rpg

NC State enters the 2011-12 season under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Gottfried. A coach with a proven track record of building programs that qualify for the postseason, Gottfried guided Murray State and Alabama to a combined seven NCAA Tournament and four NIT appearances, including taking the Tide to their first ever Elite Eight in 2004. Gottfried inherits three starters from last year’s 15-16 squad (5-11 ACC), led by 6-8 sophomore forward C.J. Leslie, who is the Wolfpack’s top returning scorer (11.0 ppg), rebounder (7.2 rpg), and shot blocker (39). Leslie is joined by 6-6 junior forward Scott Wood, who averaged 9.7 points and knocked down 72 field goals from beyond the arc in 2010-11. Rounding out the group is 6-5 sophomore Lorenzo Brown (9.3 ppg), who will be transitioning to point guard full-time this season after registering 3.7 assists a game last year, good for fifth in the conference. A trio of experienced front court players in senior C.J. Williams and juniors Richard Howell and DeShawn Painter are also scheduled to return. Williams, a 6-5 swingman, saw action in 31 games last season and averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 boards. A bruising 6-8 forward, Howell (7.4 ppg) averaged 6.5 rebounds in 18.2 minutes and led the Wolfpack with 84 offensive rebounds. The 6-9 Painter (4.6 ppg) gained significant experience last year in 26 games and elevated both his scoring (7.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg) averages in his 11 starts. Gottfried will have a talented contingent of newcomers at his disposal, led by graduate student Alex Johnson, who is available to play immediately under NCAA rules after receiving his degree in communications from CSU Bakersfield in the spring. The 5-10 Johnson averaged 13.3 points and nailed 79 3-pointers last season. Also joining the Pack this season are freshmen forwards Thomas de Thaey and Tyler Harris and freshman guard Jaqawn Raymond NC State will prep for the ever-tough ACC with a non-conference slate that is highlighted with tilts against 2011 NCAA Tournament participants Morehead State, Princeton, Texas, and Vanderbilt in the TicketCity Legends Classic. Syracuse is also on the schedule.

C.J. Leslie

TicketCity Legends Classic

QUICK FACTS School ............................. NC State University Location.....................................Raleigh, N.C. Enrollment.......................................... 32,029 Founded.................................................1887 Nickname.........................................Wolfpack Colors...................................... Red and White Home Facility................... RBC Center (19,700) Chancellor......................... Dr. Randy Woodson Director of Athletics................ Deborah A. Yow Web Site.............................. www.GoPack.com Head Coach.............................. Mark Gottfried Record at School........................... First Year Career Record................... 278-154 (14 years) 2010-11 Record......................................15-16 Conference.............................Atlantic Coast Conference Record (Finish).......... 5-11 (10th) Postseason.......................................... None

AN EXPERIENCED STAFF: Mark Gottfried was named the 19th head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program on April 5, 2011. Gottfried owns a career mark of 278-154 as a head coach after serving at both Murray State and Alabama. Gottfried’s staff features two former head coaches in Bobby Lutz and Orlando Early. Lutz departed Charlotte as the school’s winningest coach with a 218-158 mark. He also posted a program record five straight 20-win seasons. Orlando Early spent five seasons as the head coach at Louisiana-Monroe where he was 60-92 during his tenure. He guided the War Hawks to a share of the Sun Belt’s Western Division crown in ULM’s first season in the league, earning him several Coach of the Year honors in 2006-07. MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Junior Scott Wood is two starts from moving into the top 10 for career starts at NC State. He currently has 67 and would tie Julius Hodge (2002-04) for 10th with 69. Wood also needs two more made 3-pointers to move into a tie for 10th on the all-time list with Mark Davis (1992-95) with 137. Wood nailed a team-best 72 3-point field goals last season and shot a healthy 41.9 percent (72-172) from beyond the arc. A SPECIAL DISH: Guard Lorenzo Brown’s 116 assists last season were the fifth-most for a freshman in NC State history. Brown averaged 3.7 assists in 2010-11, which ranked fifth in the ACC, and he registered at least five assists in 10 of the Wolfpack’s 31 contests.

Morehead State Eagles QUICK FACTS School ....................Morehead State University Location...................................Morehead, Ky. Enrollment.......................................... 10,235 Founded.................................................1887 Nickname............................................. Eagles Colors....................................... Blue and Gold Home Facility..... Ellis T. Johnson Arena (6,500) President........................Dr. Wayne D. Andrews Director of Athletics.............. Brian Hutchinson Web Site.......................... www.msueagles.com Head Coach............................. Donnie Tyndall Record at School................... 96-70 (5 years) Career Record...................... 126-75 (6 years) 2010-11 Record......................................25-10 Conference.................................Ohio Valley Conference Record (Finish)........... 13-5 (2nd) Postseason........................NCAA Third Round

Last season, Morehead State enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in school history, winning 25 games, the Ohio Valley Conference championship, and a thrilling 62-61 decision over Louisville in the NCAA Tournament. Kenneth Faried (17.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg) put an exclamation on the 2010-11 campaign when he became the program’s first-ever student-athlete to be selected in the NBA Draft as the Denver Nuggets made him the 22nd overall pick. As the Eagles look to 2011-12, expectations have never been higher. A talented trio of returning starters highlights this year’s squad, including the back court tandem of seniors Terrance Hill and Ty Proffitt. Hill (10.7 ppg) led the team with 64 3-pointers made and recorded 49 steals a year ago. The 6-4 Proffitt averaged 7.9 points and knocked down 51 field goals from beyond the arc. Sophomore forward Drew Kelly is the other returning starter. Last season, he averaged five points and 4.1 rebounds while starting 15 games. He will be called upon to increase his presence on the glass in the absence of Faried. The remaining returning players include senior guard Lamont Austin (2.9 ppg), who finished second on the team with 61 assists last season. Six-seven sophomore forward Dionte Ferguson (1.1 ppg) should see increased playing time in 2011-12 after appearing in 19 contests as a freshman.

Terrance Hill

The Eagles welcome 10 newcomers to the program this season. The junior class includes guards Devon Atkinson and Marsell Holden and forwards Milton Chavis and Kahlil Owens. All four played at junior colleges last season, with the dynamic 5-11 Holden earning All-America honors at San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College. A talented six-man freshman class consists of guards Deandre Mathieu and Angelo Warner, swingmen Will Bailey and Orlando Coleman, and forwards Jeff Drew and Jordan Percell. Entering his sixth season at Morehead State, head coach Donnie Tyndall (126-75) will challenge his team with a non-conference schedule that includes games against North Carolina State in the TicketCity Legends Classic and West Virginia. The Eagles are seeking their third NCAA appearance in four seasons and fourth consecutive 20-win campaign. BIG SHOES TO FILL: Morehead State will have the unenviable task of trying to replace one the most acclaimed players in program history in Kenneth Faried. Faried set a NCAA modern-era record (post1973) with 1,673 career rebounds and garnered third-team NABC All-America honors in 2011 after averaging 17.3 points and 14.5 rebounds. He became the Eagles’ first-ever student-athlete selected in the NBA Draft as the Denver Nuggets chose the 6-7 forward with the 22nd overall pick. NOT JUST HAPPY TO BE THERE: The Eagles have earned postseason victories in each of their last three appearances. In 2009, Morehead State posted a 58-43 win over Alabama State in the NCAA Tournament, while in 2010 the Eagles turned aside Colorado State (74-60) in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational. Last season, they edged Louisville in a thriller, 62-61, before falling to Richmond (65-48) in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. BEEN A LONG TIME: Morehead State’s first season of men’s basketball was in 1929-30. The Eagles boast an all-time record of 1,040-977, which includes an Ohio Valley Conference record of 427-462. TITLE TALK: Morehead State has captured 13 Ohio Valley Conference crowns nine regular-season titles and four tournament crowns. The Eagles enter the 2011-12 campaign seeking their third OVC Championship in the last four seasons.

TicketCity Legends Classic

Donnie Tyndall Head Coach sixth season 126-75 overall (six years)

Drew Kelly R-So. • F 6-7 • 235

5.0 ppg 4.1 rpg

Lamont Austin Sr. • G 6-0 • 175

2.9 ppg 1.9 apg

Terrance Hill Sr. • G 6-1 • 175

10.7 ppg 2.3 rpg

Ty Proffitt Sr. • G 6-4 • 190

7.9 ppg 2.1 rpg

Dionte Ferguson So. • F 6-7 • 215

1.1 ppg 0.9 rpg

Princeton Tigers Mitch Henderson Head Coach first season 0-0 overall

Douglas Davis Sr. • G 5-11 • 164

11.9 ppg 1.8 rpg

Patrick Saunders Sr. • F 6-8 • 200

5.4 ppg 3.1 rpg

Mack Darrow Jr. • F 6-9 • 225

4.3 ppg 2.5 rpg

Ian Hummer Jr. • F 6-7 • 226

13.8 ppg 6.8 rpg

Brendan Connolly Jr. • C 6-11 • 252

3.2 ppg 2.7 rpg

Coming off the program’s Ivy League-record 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and a near-upset of eventual Final Four participant Kentucky, Princeton welcomes back four starters as it looks to follow up on its Ivy-record 26th conference title. After winning 25 games a year ago, including an impressive 10-3 mark in games decided by five points or less, the Tigers will face eight teams in 2011-12 that won 20 or more games last season and seven teams that advanced to the postseason. Princeton will be anchored by the tandem of senior guard Douglas Davis and junior forward Ian Hummer. Davis (11.9 ppg) became the program’s first junior in 20 years to reach the 1,000-point milestone and nailed the buzzerbeating jumper that defeated Harvard, 63-62, in the Ivy playoff game that sent the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament. He led the team in both made 3-pointers (69) and steals (38) and garnered Ivy League honorable mention distinction. Hummer (13.8 ppg) averaged 6.8 rebounds and dished out 61 assists, one of three returnees who amassed at least 50 assists a year ago. The Vienna, Va., native shot 55.6 percent (180-324) from the field and added 36 blocks and 36 steals. Senior co-captain Patrick Saunders, a 6-8 forward, averaged 5.4 points, while knocking down 27 3-pointers. He also averaged 3.1 rebounds a game. Junior center Brendan Connolly (3.2 ppg) made 30 starts last season. Junior forwards Mack Darrow (4.3 ppg) and Will Barrett (2.1 ppg) will play prominent roles once again in 2011-12, while 6-6 sophomore guard T.J. Bray (1.5 ppg) will provide valuable depth off the bench after appearing in all 32 games last season. The Tigers, who posted a perfect 12-0 mark at home last season, will have a new face on the sidelines following the departure of Sydney Johnson to Fairfield. Mitch Henderson, a 1998 graduate of Princeton and four-year starter, was named the Tigers’ head coach on April 24. A FAMILY AFFAIR: Princeton debuts a new head coach this season in 1998 graduate Mitch Henderson. He is the fourth consecutive Princeton alumnus to lead the Tigers, all of whom played for long-time head coach Pete Carril. A four-year starter who played in the NCAA Tournament

QUICK FACTS School.............................Princeton University Location..................................Princeton, N.J. Enrollment............................................5,044 Founded.................................................1746 Nickname............................................. Tigers Colors.................................. Orange and Black Home Facility......... Jadwin Gymnasium (6,854) President.......................... Shirley M. Tilghman Director of Athletics................. Gary D. Walters Web Site............... www.GoPrincetonTigers.com Head Coach...........................Mitch Henderson Record at School........................... First Year Career Record................................ First Year 2010-11 Record....................................... 25-7 Conference............................................ Ivy Conference Record (Finish)............ 12-2 (1st) Postseason..................... NCAA Second Round

in each of his last three seasons, Henderson earned second-team All-Ivy League honors in 1998 and an All-Ivy honorable mention in 1997. He ranks fourth in program history with 304 assists and eighth in steals with 142. For the last 11 seasons, Henderson served on the Northwestern staff under former Princeton head coach Bill Carmody. With Henderson on staff, the Wildcats posted their only two 20-win seasons in school history and their first-ever consecutive postseason appearances (2009, 2010, 2011). POINT PRODUCER: Princeton senior guard Douglas Davis enters the 2011-12 campaign with 1,110 points for his career, good for 15th in program history. Last season, Davis averaged 11.9 points while becoming the first Princeton junior in 20 years to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

Ian Hummer

TicketCity Legends Classic

ADDING TO ITS TOTALS: Princeton captured the 2011 Ivy League title in dramatic fashion as Douglas Davis hit a buzzer-beating jumper in the Tigers’ 63-62 win over Harvard. The win secured the program’s 26th Ivy League crown and 24th NCAA Tournament appearance. Both totals are tops in league history EXTRA TIME IS OUR TIME: Among Princeton’s 25 victories last season included a perfect 4-0 mark in overtime contests. The Tigers pulled out overtime victories against Rutgers, Siena, Tulsa, and Pennsylvania, with the 8278 win versus Tulsa coming in double-overtime.

Oregon State Beavers QUICK FACTS School........................ Oregon State University Location................................... Corvallis, Ore. Enrollment.......................................... 23,761 Founded.................................................1868 Nickname...........................................Beavers Colors.................................. Orange and Black Home Facility................ Gill Coliseum (10,400) President................................. Dr. Edward Ray Director of Athletics...................Bob De Carolis Web Site......................... www.osubeavers.com Head Coach..............................Craig Robinson Record at School................... 43-56 (3 years) Career Record........................ 73-84 (5 years) 2010-11 Record......................................11-20 Conference....................................... Pac-12 Conference Record (Finish)............ 5-13 (9th) Postseason.......................................... None

Oregon State will feature its most talented team in years, one that is loaded with depth and experience at every position. The lone senior on the team is former walk-on Kevin McShane, who was the first player head coach Craig Robinson added to the roster when he took over in 2008 and was awarded a scholarship for his final year because of his hard work and leadership on and off the court. The back court features three players who can score from anywhere on the court in junior Jared Cunningham and sophomores Ahmad Starks and Roberto Nelson. Cunningham led the Beavers in scoring (14.2 ppg) last season and is one of the most explosive players in the country, as evidenced by his ‘Kiss the Sky’ dunk that became an instant YouTube sensation. The 6-4 guard holds seven school records after just two seasons, including the most steals (85) by a sophomore in program history, shattering former OSU great Gary Payton’s record. The 5-9 Starks (7.8 ppg) led the team with 42 3-pointers made last season, the third-highest total by a freshman in Oregon State history. Nelson (7.5 ppg) scored 34 points against Arizona State on March 5, the highest singlegame total by a freshman in program annals. Challe Barton, a 6-3 freshman from Sweden, will add back court depth.

Craig Robinson

Robinson has numerous front court options at his disposal this season, including juniors Angus Brandt and Joe Burton, sophomores Devon Collier and Rhys Murphy, and red-shirt freshman Eric Moreland. Burton (7.0 ppg), a bruising 6-7 forward, led the Beavers in assists (2.4 apg) and was second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg), steals (36), and field goal percentage (.478) a year ago. Collier set an Oregon State record for blocks by a freshman (23) and shot a team-leading 57.8 percent (74-128) from the floor. The 6-10 Brandt (4.8 ppg) started 21 contests last season, while Murphy and Moreland played only four games apiece after sustaining injuries. The Beavers’ deep, athletic front court was a key component in the team ranking fifth nationally in steals (293) in 2011-12. CREAM OF THE CROP: Oregon State enters its 111th season as the 20th winningest program in Division I history with 1,619 victories. The Beavers are being recognized as one of the top 15 programs in college basketball history at the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Mo. BIG RETURNS: The returning players to this year’s Oregon State squad accounted for 132 of the Beavers’ 138 points in the team’s two games in the 2011 Pac-10 Championship. OSU edged Stanford, 69-67, before falling to Arizona, 7869, in the quarterfinals. The 2011-12 roster consists entirely of players brought in by fourthyear head coach Craig Robinson and his staff. SPINNING RECORDS LIKE A DJ: Jared Cunningham enters his junior season having already shattered seven school records. The 6-4 guard holds OSU records for steals in a game (eight), steals by a sophomore (85), free throws made in a game without a miss (15), consecutive free throws made (34), steals in a Pac-10 Tournament game (six), free throws made in a Pac-10 Tournament game (15), and free throws attempted in a Pac-10 Tournament game (20). FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO SHOOTING SCHOOL: A freshman has led Oregon State in field goal percentage each of the past two seasons. In 2009-10, Jared Cunningham paced the Beavers from the field (51.2 percent), while Devon Collier’s 57.8 percent shooting led the team last season.

Ahmad Starks

TicketCity Legends Classic

Head Coach fourth season 73-84 overall (five years)

Jared Cunningham Jr. • G 6-4 • 194

14.2 ppg 3.1 rpg

Ahmad Starks So. • G 5-9 • 165

7.8 ppg 1.5 apg

Joe Burton Jr. • F/C 6-7 • 280

7.0 ppg 5.6 rpg

Angus Brandt Jr. • F/C 6-10 • 242

4.8 ppg 2.5 rpg

Devon Collier So. • F 6-8 • 215

7.0 ppg 4.4 rpg

West Alabama Tigers Mike Newell Head Coach first season 301-227 overall (18 years)

Allen McGaha Jr. • G 5-11 • 170 first season

10 Josh Spears Jr. • G 6-3 • 190 first season

13 Jared Woolfolk Jr. • G 6-3 • 210 first season

14 Ryan Fitch Jr. • F 6-6 • 200

10.5 ppg 6.3 rpg

Darrion Booker Jr. • C 6-8 • 235 first season

A new era begins for the West Alabama basketball program as just one returning starter and eight newcomers highlight the Tigers’ 2011-12 roster under first-year head coach Mike Newell. A member of the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference, West Alabama is coming off an 11-15 campaign that included five losses by eight points or less. The Tigers will be led by forward Ryan Fitch (10.5 ppg), the team’s second-leading scorer a year ago. The 6-6 junior started all 26 games and led the team in both steals (36) and blocks (24) and ranked second in rebounding (6.3 rpg). Fitch shot 49.1 percent (109-222) from the field and led West Alabama in scoring on four occasions last season. Also returning are junior guard Drew Faile and sophomore center Kyle Belcher. The 6-6 Faile averaged 4.7 points and connected on 23 field goals from beyond the arc while averaging just 14.6 minutes per game. He also committed only 21 turnovers in 24 contests. The 6-9 Belcher (1.6 ppg) played sparingly as a freshman but will be counted on to give the Tigers valuable minutes and production in the low post. A group of eight newcomers will bring a heavy dose of talent and athleticism to the Tigers’ lineup in 2011-12, led by junior Jared Woolfolk. After enjoying a highly-decorated high school career that included third-team all-state distinction while starring for O’Fallon Township High School (Ill.), the 6-3 guard played the past two seasons at Kaskaskia College. Rugged 6-8 center Darrion Booker is expected to provide immediate help in the front court, along with sophomore forward Marcus Heidelburg. Juniors Allen McGaha and Josh Spears and sophomore Michael Jackson will compete for playing time in the back court. Newell boasts an overall record of 301-227 in 18 seasons as a head coach, which includes stops at Arkansas-Little Rock, Lamar, and ArkansasMonticello. He has won 20 or more games seven times during his career. STARTING OVER: The Tigers welcome back just one starter and three studentathletes from last year’s 11-15 squad. West Alabama returns 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game from a year ago when the team averaged 65.9 points and 35.3 rebounds. The Tigers’ leading returning scorer is junior forward Ryan Fitch (10.5 ppg).

TicketCity Legends Classic

QUICK FACTS School................... University of West Alabama Location................................ Livingston, Ala. Enrollment............................................5,500 Founded.................................................1835 Nickname............................................. Tigers Colors...................................... Red and White Home Facility..................... Pruitt Hall (1,000) President....................... Dr. Richard D. Holland Director of Athletics................Stan Williamson Web Site.......................www.uwaathletics.com Head Coach..................................Mike Newell Record at School........................... First Year Career Record................... 301-227 (18 years) 2010-11 Record......................................11-15 Conference................................. Gulf South Conference Record (Finish)... 5-7 (5th in East) Postseason.......................................... None

WELCOME ABOARD: West Alabama tabbed coaching veteran Mike Newell as its head coach on Apr. 2. Newell boasts an overall record of 301-227 in 18 seasons as a head coach, which includes stops at Arkansas-Little Rock, Lamar, and Arkansas-Monticello. No stranger to postseason success, Newell guided Arkansas-Little Rock to an upset of 10th-ranked Notre Dame in the 1986 NCAA Tournament and led ArkansasMonticello to the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA Division II Tournament. A BASKETBALL FAMILY: Junior center Darrion Booker is part of a talented trio of siblings who have made the most of their talents. His older brother Trevor is a member of the Washington Wizards, while younger brother Devin is a member of the Clemson program. BETTER LUCK THIS TIME: Junior guard Jared Woolfolk enjoyed a stellar high school career in his native Illinois. The 6-3 O’Fallon, Ill., resident played his ball at O’Fallon Township High School, where he earned third-team all-state honors. He also led his team to the state championship game in 2007, losing to Chicago Simeon High and 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Woolfolk played the last two years at Kaskaskia College in Illinois. BACK TO ITS WINNING WAYS: West Alabama seeks its first winning season since posting a mark of 14-13 in 2004-05. The Tigers have won 15 of their 27 home contests over the past two seasons and will play 12 home games in 2011-12.

Head Coach Mike Newell

Hofstra Pride QUICK FACTS School................................ Hofstra University Location........................ Hempstead, New York Enrollment.......................................... 12,000 Founded.................................................1935 Nickname.............................................. Pride Colors.............................Gold, White and Blue Home Facility.................. David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex (5,045) President............................. Stuart Rabinowitz Director of Athletics....................... Jack Hayes Web Site...........................www.GoHofstra.com Head Coach................................... Mo Cassara Record at School.................... 21-12 (1 year) Career Record......................... 21-12 (1 year) 2010-11 Record......................................21-12 Conference......................... Colonial Athletic Conference Record (Finish)...... 14-4 (Tie 2nd) Postseason.............................................CBI

The Hofstra program had been built for the last three seasons around standout guard Charles Jenkins, a 2011 second round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors. The key to the 2011-12 season will be whether the supporting cast and newcomers can elevate their level of play and help the Pride maintain the program’s high level of success. Jenkins graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,513 points and was an All-America selection by several media outlets, including the Sporting News and Basketball Times. In addition to losing Jenkins, the Pride also graduated the top shot-blocker in school history in Greg Washington, and Brad Kelleher, the team’s point guard in the second half of the season. The cupboard is far from bare, however, as Hofstra returns two players who started every game last year for head coach Mo Cassara senior guard Mike Moore and junior forward David Imes. Moore (14.9 ppg) connected on 62 field goals from beyond the arc and was the Pride’s second-leading rebounder (5.4 rpg) despite his 6-5 frame. The rugged 6-7 Imes (7.6 ppg) led the Pride on the glass with a 6.8 rpg average, while his .505 (102-202) field goal percentage was good for second on the team.

Mike Moore

Mo Cassara

Hofstra will count on a pair of experienced players who sat out last season to provide an immediate impact and veteran leadership. Junior point guard Stevie Mejia amassed 197 assists in two seasons at Rhode Island, while senior forward Nathaniel Lester averaged eight points and 4.8 rebounds in 2009-10 before missing all of last season due to injury. The 6-5 Lester has 43 career starts. The Pride have a pair of experienced reserves in sophomores Shemiye McLendon and Stephen Nwaukoni. The 6-3 McLendon (6.1 ppg) appeared in all 32 contests last season and knocked down 30 3-pointers, while Nwaukoni (2.0 ppg), a 6-8 forward, averaged 3.3 rebounds and 11.9 minutes per game. WHAT A YEAR: In his first season at the helm, Mo Cassara guided Hofstra to a 21-12 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Pride tied for second in the CAA, the program’s highest finish since joining the league in 2001-02. Hofstra also reached the CAA semifinals for the first time since 2006, and advanced to the College Basketball Invitational. HOME SWEET HOME: Hofstra’s schedule this year is loaded with home games as the Pride will play at the Mack Sports Complex 17 times in 2011-12. The Pride posted a mark of 10-3 at home last season and boast a 31-12 home record over the past three seasons. POSTSEASON PARTY: Hofstra’s appearance in the CBI last season marked the fifth time in the last seven years that the program advanced to postseason play. The Pride earned NIT berths in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and also advanced to the CBI in 2010. KINGS OF NEW YORK: Hofstra recently put the finishing touches on a 10-year stretch in which it amassed the most victories of any Division I program in the Metropolitan New York area. Hofstra enjoyed a 189124 record in the 2000’s, while Manhattan was second in that span with 172 wins and Seton Hall third with 166. In the last five full seasons of the decade (2006-10), Hofstra had exactly 100 victories, while Seton Hall was second with 84. WELCOME BACK: Senior guard Nathaniel Lester returns to the Pride’s lineup in 2011-12 after missing all of last season with an injury. Lester has been an important member of the Hofstra roster since 2007, having played in 96 games and making 43 starts. He averaged eight points and 4.8 rebounds during the 2009-10 campaign.

TicketCity Legends Classic

Head Coach second season 21-12 overall (one year)

Nathaniel Lester Sr. • F 6-5 • 210 did not play

1 Stevie Mejia Jr. • G 5-9 • 175 did not play

3 David Imes Jr. • F 6-7 • 215

7.6 ppg 6.8 rpg

Mike Moore Sr. • G 6-5 • 200

14.9 ppg 5.4 rpg

Stephen Nwaukoni So. • F 6-8 • 230

2.0 ppg 3.3 rpg

Tournament Bracket Regional Rounds

SubRegional Rounds

Austin Regional

Lewisburg Subregional

Frank Erwin Center • Austin, Texas

Sojka Pavilion • Lewisburg, Pa.

Nov. 13 Nov. 15

Boston University at Texas Rhode Island at Texas

7 p.m. 4 p.m.

Nashville Regional Memorial Gym • Nashville, Tenn. Nov. 13 Nov. 15

Cleveland State at Vanderbilt Bucknell at Vanderbilt

2 p.m. 8 p.m.

Raleigh Regional Morehead State at NC State Princeton at NC State

6 p.m. 7 p.m.

Corvallis Regional Gill Coliseum • Corvallis, Ore. Nov. 14 Nov. 16

Morehead St. vs. West Alabama 3:30 p.m. Princeton vs. Bucknell Princeton vs. Morehead State 2 p.m. West Alabama vs. Bucknell West Alabama vs. Princeton 2 p.m. Morehead State vs. Bucknell

Kingston Subregional Ryan Center • Kingston, R.I.

RBC Center • Raleigh, N.C. Nov. 13 Nov. 16

Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Nov. 27

West Alabama at Oregon State Hofstra at Oregon State

10 p.m. 10 p.m.

Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Nov. 27

Boston Univ. vs. Cleveland St. 2:30 p.m. Hofstra vs. Rhode Island Cleveland State vs. Hofstra 2:30 p.m. Boston Univ. vs. Rhode Island Hofstra vs. Boston University 12 p.m. Cleveland St. vs. Rhode Island all times Eastern

Championship Rounds IZOD Center • East Rutherford, N.J. November 19

November 21

Vanderbilt *6:30 p.m. on *8:30 p.m. on

NC State

Champion Texas *8:30 p.m. on

Oregon State

*6:30 p.m. on

3rd Place

* television schedule subject to change

TicketCity Legends Classic

LEGENDS CLASSIC NOW ON ESPN As the TicketCity Legends Classic grows in stature, more and more people are noticing the strong fields that have become a trademark of the event. With that brings national attention. With that brings ESPN. Beginning this year, The Worldwide Leader in Sports will begin broadcasting the Championship Rounds of the fifth annual TicketCity Legends Classic. In all, ESPN will air eight games of the event, beginning with two games on Nov. 13. On ESPNU, Vanderbilt, which is nationally ranked and looking at one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons ever in Nashville, will entertain a Cleveland State team that is looking for its third-ever NCAA berth after reaching the second round on the 2011 NIT. A couple of hours later on ESPN3, NC State, under the direction of firstyear head coach Mark Gottfried, will play host to a Morehead State team that is coming off, quite possibly, the greatest season in school history. ESPN’s annual College Basketball Marathon takes place on Nov. 15 with its family of networks airing 24 hours of college basketball. One of the featured match-ups that day will be Rhode Island at Texas, which tips at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. Texas enters the season looking to replace three NBA Draft choices while Rhode Island looks to replace two of its three top scorers from a year ago. The final Regional Round game to appear on ESPN is an ESPN3 production featuring NC State and Princeton on Nov. 16. Princeton, which won the Ivy League in thrilling fashion last season, starts a new era as former standout Mitch Henderson takes over the reins of the program. Starting on Nov. 19, ESPN3 will be the home of the Championship Rounds of the TicketCity Legends Classic. The first semifinal game pits Vanderbilt and NC State, followed by Texas facing an Oregon State team that is looking to make waves in the Pac-12 as head coach Craig Robinson begins his fourth season in Corvallis. The consolation and championship games will also be featured on Nov. 21.

Team Rosters Championship Rounds

November 19 & 21 H IZOD Center

Texas Longhorns No. Name 0 Julien Lewis 1 Sheldon McClellan 2 Jaylen Bond 5 Dean Melchionni 10 Jonathan Holmes 12 Myck Kabongo 13 Sterling Gibbs 14 J’Covan Brown 20 Alexis Wangmene 22 Andrew Dick 53 Clint Chapman

Pos. G G F G F G G G F/C G F/C

Ht. 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-7 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-7 6-2 6-10

Wt. Cl. 190 Fr. 200 Fr. 224 Fr. 193 Jr. 239 Fr. 169 Fr. 185 Fr. 197 Jr. 241 Sr. 180 Jr. 245 Sr.

Hometown (Previous School) Galveston, Texas (La Marque) Houston, Texas (Bellaire) Philadelphia, Pa. (Plymouth-Whitemarsh) Lancaster, Pa. (Germantown Acad.) San Antonio, Texas (Antonian Coll. Prep) Toronto, Ont. (St. Benedict’s Prep [N.J.]) Scotch Plains, N.J. (Seton Hall Prep) Port Arthur, Texas (Memorial) Maroua, Cameroon (Blair Acad. [N.J.]) Sherman, Texas (Sherman) Canby, Ore. (Canby)

Head Coach – Rick Barnes (14th season) Assistant Coaches – Rob Lanier, Russell Springmann, Chris Ogden

Vanderbilt Commodores No. Name 1 Brad Tinsley 2 Kedren Johnson 3 Festus Ezeli 5 Lance Goulbourne 11 Kyle Fuller 12 Jordan Smart 14 Aaron Noll 23 John Jenkins 24 Dai-Jon Parker 33 Steve Tchiengang

34 35 40 44 45

Shelby Moats James Siakam Josh Henderson Jeffery Taylor Rod Odom

Pos. G G C F G G/F F G G F

Ht. 6-3 6-4 6-11 6-8 6-1 6-6 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-9

F F C F F

6-8 6-7 6-11 6-7 6-9

Wt. 210 215 255 225 180 200 220 215 190 240

Cl. Sr. Fr. R-Sr. Sr. So. R-Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Sr.

Hometown (Previous School) Oregon City, Ore. (Oregon City) Lewisburg, Tenn. (Marshall County) Benin City, Nigeria (Jesuit [Calif.]) Brooklyn, N.Y. (The Hun School [N.J.]) Moreno Valley, Calif. (Rancho Verde) Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Catholic) Fort Mitchell, Ky. (Covington Catholic) Hendersonville, Tenn. (Station Camp) Baton Rouge, La. (Milton [Ga.])

Douala, Cameroon (Cypress Comm. Sch. [Texas]) 225 Fr. Waconia, Minn. (Waconia) 210 R-Fr. Douala, Cameroon (Brehm Prep [Ill.]) 220 R-Fr. Roanoke, Va. (Cave Spring) 225 Sr. Norkopping, Sweden (Hobbs [N.M.]) 207 So. Central Islip, N.Y. (Middlesex School [Mass.])

Head Coach – Kevin Stallings (13th season) Assistant Coaches – David Cason, Brad Frederick, Dan Muller

TicketCity Legends Classic

Team Rosters Championship Rounds

November 19 & 21 H IZOD Center

NC State Wolfpack No. Name 0 DeShawn Painter 1 Richard Howell 2 Lorenzo Brown 3 Alex Johnson 5 C.J. Leslie 10 Jaqawn Raymond 13 Thomas de Thaey 14 Jordan Vandenberg 15 Scott Wood 20 Jay Lewis 21 C.J. Williams 22 Ben Amos 25 Kendall Smith 30 Staats Battle 34 Tyler Harris

Pos. C F G G F G F C F G G/F G F G F

Ht. 6-9 6-8 6-5 5-10 6-8 6-4 6-8 7-1 6-6 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-8 6-5 6-8

Wt. 231 250 189 176 209 195 239 258 175 186 224 198 235 192 203

Cl. Jr. Jr. So. Gr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Fr.

Hometown (Previous School) Norfolk, Va. (Hargrave Mil. Acad. [Va.]) Marietta, Ga. (Wheeler) Roswell, Ga. (Hargrave Mil. Acad. [Va.]) Toronto, Ont. (CSU Bakersfield) Holly Springs, N.C. (Word of God Christian Acad.) Statesboro, Ga. (Statesboro) Dendermonde, Belgium (Canarias Basketball Acad.) Melbourne, Australia (Australian Inst. of Sport) Marion, Ind. (Marion) Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Day School) Fayetteville, N.C. (Jack Britt) Winston-Salem, N.C. (Hargrave Mil. Acad. [Va.]) Winston-Salem, N.C. (Glenn) Raleigh, N.C. (Broughton) Dix Hills, N.Y. (St. Benedict’s Prep [N.J.])

Head Coach – Mark Gottfried (first season) Assistant Coaches – Orlando Early, Bobby Lutz, Rob Moxley

Oregon State Beavers No. Name 0 Kevin McShane 1 Jared Cunningham 2 Challe Barton 3 Ahmad Starks 4 Chris Brown 10 Daniel Jones 11 Joe Burton 12 Angus Brandt 13 Rhys Murphy 14 Daniel Gomis 15 Eric Moreland 44 Devon Collier 55 Roberto Nelson

Pos. F G G G C C F/C F/C F F F F G

Ht. 6-9 6-4 6-3 5-9 6-11 6-11 6-7 6-10 6-7 6-10 6-10 6-8 6-3

Wt. 240 194 193 165 250 230 280 242 195 225 215 215 195

Cl. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Fr. So. So.

Hometown (Previous School) Portland, Ore. (Clackamas CC) Oakland, Calif. (San Leandro) Goteborg, Sweden (Sandagymnasiet) Chicago, Ill. (Whitney Young) Houston, Texas (Oak Hill Acad. [Va.]) Orland, Calif. (Hamilton Union) Soboba, Calif. (West Valley) Sydney, Australia (Blaxland) Sydney, Australia (Barker Coll. Senior) Thies, Senegal (Oak Hill Acad. [Va.]) Missouri City, Texas (UTEP) Bronx, N.Y. (St. Anthony’s [N.J.]) Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara)

Head Coach – Craig Robinson (fourth season) Associate Head Coach – Doug Stewart Assistant Coaches – Nate Pomeday, David Grace

TicketCity Legends Classic

Overview Although it is only in its fifth year, the TicketCity Legends Classic has become one of the most eagerly anticipated early-season college basketball tournaments in the country. What makes it so is easy – the teams that have participated in the event create the excitement and this year is no different. Texas, Vanderbilt, NC State, and Oregon State all bring their own unique qualities to the Classic. Each will host a pair of Regional Round games before traveling to Northern New Jersey to take part in the Championship Round, Nov. 19 and Nov. 21, at IZOD Center in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The four Regional Round hosts have combined for 77 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Their place in college basketball history is secure. Joining the Regional Round hosts is a list of schools that have their own stories to tell. Boston University, Princeton, and West Alabama are under new leadership. Bucknell, Cleveland State, Hofstra, Morehead State, and Rhode Island, as well as BU and Princeton, all played in the postseason a year ago. Each will play one Regional Round game before heading to Subregional Round action from Nov. 25-27. One of those Subregionals will be hosted by Rhode Island, which will entertain Boston University, Cleveland State, and Hofstra at the Ryan Center. Bucknell is the site of the other Subregional, where the Bison will host Morehead State, Princeton, and West Alabama at Sojka Pavilion. In addition to tremendous basketball, the TicketCity Legends Classic honors some of the game’s greatest players. This year, the likes of Bill Bradley, A.C. Green, David Thompson, LaSalle Thompson, and Perry Wallace are among those who will be recognized. You may have forgotten why these players are legends. Once you read about their accomplishments you will never forget.

Tournament Preview AUSTIN REGIONAL Head coach Rick Barnes, who has led the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament all 13 years he has been in Austin, must replace all five starters from a team that ended last year ranked No. 8 in the final Associated Press poll and posted a 28-8 record. That said, the Texas back court should feature one of the best combinations in the Big 12 in junior J’Covan Brown and freshman Myck Kabongo. A preseason All-Big 12 first-team selection, Brown averaged 10.4 ppg last season. As for Kabongo, he is a true point guard and leader who earned McDonald’s All-America and Jordan Brand All-America honors last season. He was ranked as the No. 11 prospect nationally in the ESPNU 100. Texas will host Boston University and Rhode Island in Regional Round play. In his first season at BU, head coach Joe Jones will look to build upon last year’s 21-win campaign that resulted in an America East Conference championship and NCAA Tournament bid. The Terriers return 10 players, led by senior guard Darryl Partin, BU’s second leading scorer at 14.3 points per game and a first-team all-league selection. Jim Baron, a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, is in his 11th season at URI. The Rams went 20-14 last season, earning a CBI bid and giving them 109 wins over the last five years – the most over any five-year span in school history. Junior forward Nikola Malesevic is the Rams’ leading returning scorer at 10.3 ppg. NASHVILLE REGIONAL It has been a long time since Vanderbilt fans have been this excited. Head coach Kevin Stallings has guided the Commodores to unparalleled heights in his 12 years, posting 20-win seasons six of the last eight years, including going 23-11 in 2010-11, along with NCAA Tournament bids in four of the last five seasons. Vandy returns 11 players from last year’s team, including all five starters, led by junior guard John Jenkins (19.5 ppg), a SEC first-team selection, and senior center Festus Ezeli (13.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), a second-team all-league choice. Joining Vanderbilt are Cleveland State and Bucknell. The Vikings won a share of their first-ever Horizon League title in going 27-9 and earning a spot in the NIT, their third 20win season in the last four years under head coach Gary Waters. Four starters return to Cleveland State in 2011-12, led by senior guard Trevon Harmon and his 13.2 ppg average. Bucknell posted a 25-9 record last year in earning the Patriot League title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bison return four starters, led by Mike Muscala, the Patriot League Player of the Year who averaged a team-best 14.9 points per game. Head coach Dave Paulsen was named PL Coach of the Year last season.

TicketCity Legends Classic

RALEIGH REGIONAL NC State enters the 2011-12 season under the direction of new head coach Mark Gottfried, who previously coached at Murray State and Alabama and led the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight in 2004. To get Gottfried started on the right foot, the Wolfpack return 10 players from last season, including sophomore forward C.J. Leslie (11.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg), a member of the ACC All-Freshman team, and junior forward Scott Wood (9.7 ppg), who has more 3-pointers (135) after his sophomore season than any player in school history after two seasons. Morehead State and Princeton will travel to Raleigh in Regional Round play. Head coach Donnie Tyndall guided Morehead State to one of the best seasons in school history, going 2510, winning the Ohio Valley Conference title, and advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with an upset of fourth-seeded Louisville. Two starters are back from last year, led by senior guard Terrance Hill (10.7 ppg). Mitch Henderson returns to his alma mater of Princeton as head coach after 11 years as an assistant at Northwestern. The Tigers return four starters from last year’s 25-7 Ivy League championship and NCAA Tournament team, including junior forward Ian Hummer, who averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds a game en route to second-team all-league honors. CORVALLIS REGIONAL The Beavers have won 43 games over the last three seasons - the most over any threeyear span in nearly 20 years. Oregon State won the 2009 College Basketball Invitational in head coach Craig Robinson’s first season at OSU. This year, 11 players return, including four starters. Leading the way is junior guard Jared Cunningham, a second-team All-Pac-10 selection who led OSU in scoring (14.2 ppg) a year ago. Sophomore Ahmad Starks (7.8 ppg) joins Cunningham in the Beavers’ back court. Oregon State will face West Alabama and Hofstra in the Regional Rounds. Mike Newell is in his first season at West Alabama after nine years of success at Arkansas-Monticello. Junior forward Ryan Fitch is UWA’s lone returning starter, having posted averages of 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game last season. Hofstra head coach Mo Cassara will turn to senior guard Mike Moore, who has over 1,000 career points after averaging 14.9 ppg a year ago, to lead the Pride in the post-Charles Jenkins era. Last year, Hofstra went 21-12 in earning its second straight berth in the CBI.

UP To 11 Games Live on

March /April 2012

The College Basketball Invitational presented by Zebra Pen is a postseason tournament comprised of a 16-team field and hosted at on-campus arenas throughout the country. The CBI is a single-elimination tournament, up until the Championship Series. The Championship Series is a bestof-three series. The CBI provides a meaningful opportunity for teams that are deserving of a postseason experience.

“The crowd was alive ... some sort of living, breathing entity with ear shattering, rock concert, airplane noise. It began to grow as it formed at 3 p.m. to await the chance to get into the building. It flowed down the concourse, filling up the seats like lava flowing out of a volcano. It rocked and rolled and roared.” – El Paso Times on UTEP’s first of two sellout crowds during the 2009 CBI Championship Series “This is priceless for us. This tournament ... it is the best thing going. We would both have been in the NIT anyway had that not changed, and this is better because we’ve been able to play on home courts ... we’ve been able to capture something that myself and (Athletic Director) Bubba (Cunningham) could never do with a marketing plan, so it’s awesome.” - Tulsa Head Coach Doug Wojcik, after winning the 2008 CBI Championship

“It’s a momentum builder going into next year. We’re losing some seniors, but it’s going to give us some confidence for next year. We went out this season with a bang.” – VCU Senior Jamie Skeen, after winning the 2010 CBI Championship

“I want to thank Rick Giles and The Gazelle Group who put on this tournament. The real positive thing about this experience is for me not having to go in the locker room and say, ‘guys we have nowhere to go’ after we won 26 games ... and this tournament allows teams who win 20-something games (to continue to play). I appreciate being a part of this tournament and it has been a great experience for us.” – College of Charleston Head Coach Bobby Cremins

Did You Know? 295,098 fans attended games during the first four College Basketball Invitationals. The CBI had the most competitive games during the 2011 postseason... 10.2 – average margin of victory in CBI 11.3 – average margin of victory in NCAA

Legends of the Game LaSalle Thompson

University of Texas

LaSalle Thompson enrolled at Texas in the fall of 1979 out of Cincinnati’s Withrow High School and developed into one of the most dominant post players in school and Southwest Conference history. Despite playing only three years before turning professional, he finished his collegiate career as UT’s all-time leading rebounder (1,027) and recorded 1,463 points in 87 games. Thompson earned All-America honors from the Helms Foundation following his junior season (1981-82) after leading the nation in rebounding (13.5 rpg). He still owns school records for career rebounding average (11.8 rpg) and single-season rebounding average (13.5 rpg). Thompson made an immediate impact in his first collegiate game for the Horns, recording 14 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes during a home win against Northwestern Louisiana. He went on to lead the team in rebounding (9.7 rpg) and blocks (1.2 bpg) as a freshman, while ranking third in scoring (12.8 ppg). He would set school freshman records for single-game rebounds (17), total rebounds (292), rebounds per game (9.7), blocked shots (36), and blocked shots per game (1.2).

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Player (1980-82)

As a sophomore in 1980-81, Thompson ranked fifth nationally in rebounds (12.3 rpg) and earned first-team All-Southwest Conference honors. He posted what was then just the second 20-point, 20-rebound performance in school history, as he tallied 26 points and 21 rebounds at North Texas. Thompson registered a total of 23 doubledoubles during the year, which remains a single-season school record. Thompson notched a school-record 12 consecutive double-doubles during a stretch that began with UT’s 91-76 win at Biscayne (Dec. 1) and continued through the 62-60 win at Arkansas (Jan. 12). He led the team in points (19.2 ppg), rebounds, and blocks (1.7 bpg) and was selected as the team’s most valuable player. Thompson earned All-America honors from the Helms Foundation after leading the nation in rebounding (13.5) as a junior. He registered eight consecutive doubledoubles in a stretch that began with UT’s 62-55 overtime loss at Arkansas (Feb. 6) and continued through the 60-59 loss to Rice. He also set UT’s school record for rebounds in a half, when he logged 16 in the first half at Xavier.

Just as he did as a sophomore, Thompson led the Longhorns in points (18.6 ppg), rebounds, and blocks (2.1 bpg) and was named the team’s most valuable player. Thompson finished his career with school records in rebounds (1,027, a mark that was not broken until the 2003-04 season by James Thomas) and double-doubles (55). He still ranks 14th in career scoring at Texas with 1,463 points. Thompson turned professional following his junior season at Texas and was a rugged low-post threat for 15 seasons in the NBA. Thompson appeared in 71 games during his rookie season with the then-Kansas City Kings. He started 38 of 80 games in his second season with the Kings and averaged 10.3 ppg and 8.9 rebounds per contest. Thompson started 77 of the Kings’ 82 games the following season and averaged a double-double with 11.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg to go with 1.6 blocks per game. Thompson relocated along with the Kings to Sacramento where he spent the next four seasons before being traded to the Indiana Pacers during the 1988-89 season. Thompson spent the next six seasons with the Pacers and helped them to the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the 1995-96 season and played with the Denver Nuggets during the 1996-97 season before rejoining the Pacers later that season. All totaled, Thompson appeared in 985 games over 15 seasons in the NBA and averaged 7.9 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Thompson was inducted into the University of Texas Men’s Athletics Hall of Honor in 1998. He served a stint as general manager and head coach of the San Diego Wildfire in the American Basketball Association (ABA) during the 2000-01 season, the only year of the Wildfire’s existence. Thompson served as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats (20082010). Today, he operates LTE Enterprises in Sacramento, Calif.

Legends of the Game Perry Wallace

Vanderbilt University

Perry Wallace made history by becoming the first African-American scholarship basketball player in Southeastern Conference history before advancing to a successful career in law. Wallace attended Nashville’s Pearl High School and was a star on its undefeated state championship basketball team, the first year Tennessee integrated its high school tournament. He was recruited by approximately 80 universities, mostly located in the north, but Vanderbilt head coach Roy Skinner was able to convince Wallace that both the timing and the Commodores were right for him. Wallace arrived on Vanderbilt’s campus in the fall of 1966 and overcame the adversity associated with social trailblazers to become one of the Commodores’ finest student-athletes and, later, one of its most distinguished alumni. Forty-one years later, he still is the school’s second leading rebounder with 894 career caroms and ranks 39th in scoring with 1,010 points despite playing just three varsity seasons from 1968-70. Freshmen were not eligible to play with the varsity during that era.

He led Vanderbilt in rebounding all three of his varsity seasons, hauling down 10.4 rebounds a game in 1968, 10.5 rpg in 1969, and 13.5 rpg in 1970. Only Clyde Lee, who preceded Wallace by two years at Vanderbilt, has more career rebounds. After netting 9.7 points a game as a sophomore, Wallace averaged a doubledouble as a junior and senior. The Nashville native posted scoring averages of 11.4 ppg and 17.7 ppg his final two seasons as a Commodore.

Player (1968-70)

Wallace won the SEC Sportsmanship Trophy after a vote by the league players in 1970 and has been honored many times since leaving Vanderbilt. In 1996, the National Association of Basketball Coaches named Perry to its five-man Silver Anniversary All-America team. Wallace returned to the sports headlines in 2003 as an inductee into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and represented Vanderbilt as an “SEC Living Legend” at the 2004 SEC Tournament. In 2004 he became just the third Vanderbilt student-athlete to have his game jersey retired. His No. 25 will never be worn again in Nashville.

As a senior, Perry Wallace served as Vanderbilt’s team captain. He was also voted Vanderbilt’s most popular student. Wallace was named All-Southeastern Conference his senior year and went on to a law career in the Washington D.C. area. After graduating from Vanderbilt with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Mathematics, he earned his J.D. degree in 1975 from the School of Law at Columbia University. Wallace has served as a professor of law at The American University in Washington, D.C. since 1991. He was on the faculty of the University of Baltimore and was an attorney with the United States Department of Justice. Wallace also served as a legislative analyst for Mayor Walter Washington of the District of Columbia and was a field representative for the National Urban League.

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Legends of the Game David Thompson There is no absolute method of measuring the overall ability of an athlete but David O’Neal Thompson, who wore the Red and White NC State basketball uniform for four years, came as close to perfection during his Wolfpack career as would seem humanly possible. When he had completed his final game for the Pack he indeed had attained legendary status. Fans will continue to follow the Wolfpack in the future, but it is doubtful if they will ever again be privileged to see an athlete display the style, the grace, and the basketball wizardry of David Thompson. He seemed to be all things to all fans. To the opposition he was Superman. To the sportsman he was incredible. To the countless thousands of youngsters who admired his feats he was a talented friend.

NC State University

Thompson grew up in a cinder block home on a dirt road in Boiling Springs, N.C. He was the youngest of Vellie and Ida Thompson’s 11 children, and he spent most of his free time as a child on the family’s dirt basketball court in the backyard. It wasn’t uncommon for the youngster to play basketball for six hours a day, and he frequently aimed the burning headlights of his father’s car onto the family’s court at night. After a lengthy recruiting battle, Thompson chose NC State over North Carolina. Freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition in 1971-72, so Thompson had to be content with averaging 35.6 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Wolfpack freshman team. During his freshman campaign, one ACC coach recognized his incredible talent and called him “the best player in the conference,” even though he had yet to play against the league’s top performers. When he was an 18-year-old sophomore, Thompson shredded the league for 24.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, earning his first ACC Player of the Year trophy while becoming the youngest AP first-team All-American ever. Following his debut season, the 6-4, 190-pounder with a 42-inch vertical leap, Thompson turned down a $1.5 million contract offer from the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels to remain with the Wolfpack. Thompson’s ascension on the national - and international - level was completed when he led the United States to a gold medal at the 1973 World University Games in Moscow. During the games, Thompson perfected the “alley-oop” move which would become his trademark. As a junior, Thompson led the Wolfpack to the 1974 NCAA Championship while contributing 26.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per outing. He earned his second consecutive ACC Player of the Year award and was tabbed as the AP National Player of the Year. Once again, the professional ranks came calling, but Thompson turned down a $2 million offer from the Philadelphia 76ers to return for his final season.

Player (1972-75)

His final campaign was almost anticlimactic. He netted a school-record 29.9 points per game and added 8.2 rebounds per contest. He netted an ACC-record 57 points in the Pack’s early-season win over Buffalo State. Thompson left NC State with an unprecedented third ACC Player of the Year trophy and he was named the AP and UPI National Player of the Year. He left school with 2,309 career points in just 86 games. His 26.8 ppg career scoring average is by far the best in NC State history. In eight pro seasons - six with Denver and two with Seattle - he averaged 22.1 ppg and earned four All-Star selections. His stay at NC State will long be remembered - quite possibly forever. He was that kind of athlete. And it was only fitting that his uniform No. 44 was retired at his final home game. Thompson’s superior ability earned him many accolades, but it was the intangibles that made him so special. Thompson made the commitment to come back and finish his degree, graduating from NC State with a degree in sociology in December 2003.

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Legends of the Game A.C. Green

Oregon State University

A.C. Green, a 6-9 forward from Portland, Ore., was a four-year letterman on some of Oregon State’s greatest basketball teams when he played for the Beavers from 1982-85. Green led the Beavers to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the NCAA West Regional Championship game in 1982 when Oregon State knocked off Pepperdine and Idaho in the first two rounds before falling to Georgetown. The Beavers finished No. 4 in the nation in the Associated Press and UPI polls after that season. Oregon State also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1984 and 1985 and to the NIT in Green’s sophomore season where the Beavers defeated Idaho and New Orleans in the first two rounds before falling to Fresno State. The Benson High School graduate earned third-team All-America honors and was named Region 8 Player of the Year after his senior season when he averaged 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He was an honorable mention All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year after his junior season in 1984 when he averaged 17.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He averaged 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore and 8.6 points and

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Player (1982-85)

5.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection (1983, 1984, 1985), the Far West Classic Most Valuable Player in 1984, and a three-time member of the Far West Classic All-Tournament team. His No. 45 Oregon State jersey was retired during the 1996-97 season and he was inducted into the Oregon State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 and the State of Oregon Hall of Fame in 2003. He is also a member of the Pac-10 All-Decade Team for the 1980s. On Oregon State’s career lists, he ranks fourth in scoring with 1,694 points, second in rebounds with 880, and third in field-goal percentage at 60.2 percent. He played in 115 career games with the Beavers and added 185 assists, 38 blocked shots, and 123 steals. He graduated from Oregon State with a degree in speech communication. Green was the 23rd overall selection in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Lakers and won three NBA Championships in his four trips to the finals during his time in Los Angeles. He finished his career with 12,331 points and 9,473 rebounds in 16 seasons, was named to the 1988-89 All-Defensive second-team, and played in the 1990 All-Star Game. Known as the NBA’s “Iron Man,” Green played 1,192 consecutive NBA games, more than any player in NBA and ABA history. He played 1,278 out of 1,281 games in his career (99.8 percent) with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat. Outside of basketball, Green’s heart is dedicated to working with youth. Because of his love for young people, Green established the A.C. Green Youth Foundation in 1989, with the main focus on sexual abstinence education.

Through his “I’ve Got the Power” and “Game Plan” abstinence curriculum, videos, leadership camps, and web site, Green’s mission is to help young people build self-esteem and character, and learn moral and ethical principles which will help them make responsible decisions. Green is a youth mentor, author, speaker, and successful businessman. His business interests have included ownership of numerous Denny’s Restaurants and a Hyundai dealership, as well as various entrepreneurial pursuits. He is also in demand as a business consultant and lecturer. Green is a role model that youth across America can respect, and for this he was recognized in the House of Representatives’ Congressional Record of October 26, 1999, and by President George W. Bush when Green attended a ceremony in the Oval Office during Black History Month in 2006. In the course of his business ventures and community service, Green has made speaking appearances around the world, in countries such as China, India, Mexico, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. He has also appeared on television and radio programs throughout the country, including Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, Rush Limbaugh, Donahue, The Montel Williams Show, and The O’Reilly Factor.

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Legends of the Game Honoring the Greats of the Game Richard Taylor Boston University Player (1969-71)

Richard Taylor exemplifies the traits of a legendary student-athlete, as he was not only a team captain for the Terriers his senior year but also the university’s firstever Rhodes Scholar. On the court, Taylor was a spot starter and a valuable reserve during his first two seasons at BU before becoming a regular starter and co-captain as a senior. In his three varsity seasons, Taylor missed only three games and averaged 3.9 ppg and 1.9 rpg. Though his stats may seem miniscule compared to others, his head coach, Charles Luce, needed Taylor on the court because he directed the plays and proved to be a true leader while also providing energy on the defensive end. A selfless contributor, he did whatever was asked of him, whether that was scoring 13 points against Northeastern or recording six assists in another game against Holy Cross. Besides basketball, Taylor was heavily involved with other university activities. He co-founded the Afro-American Studies Center, now known as the Martin Luther King Center. Dr. King earned his Ph.D. at

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BU, and Taylor did significant research in his papers, which are now on display in a special collection on campus. His experiences led him to apply for the Rhodes Scholar with his paper titled “A Child of Mid-Century America.” Inspired by Dr. King to become active in public service and to help people, he stressed in his paper not what he hoped to take out of Oxford but what he could give to the school. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from BU, he would receive a bachelor’s in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford and then later a master’s in business administration along with a juris doctorate from Harvard. Over the last 15 years, he has been engaged in the real estate development field and has also served as an executive in residence at Suffolk University. More importantly, he has devoted time to the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, helping the organization improve job readiness skills for residents in the urban markets of Boston. He is a true BU legend.

J.R. Holden Bucknell University Player (1995-98) Bucknell is the oldest Division I college basketball program (along with Yale and Minnesota), with its roots dating all the way back to 1896. Bison teams have won better than 53 percent of their games over the last 116 years, and the program’s archives are littered with standout players. Among that corps of stars, one of the most remarkable stories belongs to 1998 graduate J.R. Holden. At Bucknell, Holden transformed himself from a lightly recruited guard into a 1,300-point scorer and a two-time first-team All-Patriot League selection. Holden went on to enjoy a very successful overseas career that took him to Latvia, Belgium, Greece, and Russia. He became one of the top stars in European basketball, where he led the powerful CSKA Moscow team to the 2006 Euroleague title.

At the urging of President Vladimir Putin, Holden later became a naturalized Russian citizen, and he represented Team Russia at several international competitions. Most notably, Holden stole the ball from Spain’s Pau Gasol and then nailed the dramatic game-winning jumper with two seconds left to give underdog Russia the 2007 European title, and along with it a berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As Bucknell’s fourth Olympian and Russia’s starting point guard in Beijing, he started all five games and averaged 38.6 minutes, 17.6 points and 4.8 assists per game. In his Olympic debut, he had 19 points in Russia’s victory over Iran. He then added five points against Croatia, 25 against Lithuania, 20 against Australia, and 19 against Argentina. Among all Olympians in pool play, he was the fifth leading scorer, and ranked first in minutes played and tied for third in assists. Holden retired from CSKA Moscow last spring after leading the team to its ninth straight Russian championship. In addition to the appearance in the Olympics, his career was highlighted by eight national titles, four Russian Cups, two Euroleague championship titles, and eight Euroleague final four appearances. Since returning to the United States, Holden has completed his memoir, Blessed Footsteps, in which he chronicles his amazing story.

Legends of the Game Honoring the Greats of the Game Norris Cole Cleveland State University Player (2008-11) First you had instant classics. Now you have instant legends. Arriving on campus as a relatively unknown 6-2 guard from Dayton, Ohio, Norris Cole quickly became a known quantity, finishing his career ranked third on Cleveland State’s all-time scoring list with 1,978 points.

As a junior, Cole earned first-team AllHorizon League accolades and ranked third in the league in scoring (16.3 ppg). As a senior, he led the Vikings back to the NIT and became the first player in league history to earn Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season. He led the Vikings to the best start in school history with 12 straight wins as CSU won 27 games, the second highest total in program history. His 41 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists against Youngstown State last season was just the second 40-point, 20-rebound game by a Division I player in the last 15 seasons. He concluded his senior season with a school-record 780 points and his 21.7 points per game was the fifth-highest in a single season in CSU history. He was also the only player in the nation to average 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 2010-11 en route to becoming just the third player in school history to earn AP All-America honors with his honorable mention selection. Cole was chosen 28th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, becoming just the eighth CSU player to be selected in the NBA Draft and the first since 1986.

Speedy Claxton He left the program ranked among the top 10 in 16 statistical categories and helped the Vikings to 90 wins and three postseason berths in his four years. As a freshman, he came off the bench in all 34 games he played in and averaged 4.9 points per game as the Vikings earned an NIT bid, their first postseason berth since 1988. As a sophomore, Cole started all 37 games as the Vikings won the Horizon League title and earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament - CSU’s second ever. In the tournament, Cole averaged 19.5 points in two games, including a 22-point effort in a first round win over Wake Forest that left little doubt of what was to come.

Hofstra Univ. Player (1997-2000) Craig “Speedy” Claxton was a point guard who helped lead Hofstra to two postseason appearances before being selected in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Claxton finished his career with 2,015 points and still holds the Hofstra records for career assists (660) and steals (288).

He led the Pride to an NIT berth in 1999 and then to the NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2000. Speedy started all 27 games as a freshman, averaging 15 points, 3.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game to earn third-team All-America East accolades. He upped his scoring average to 16.3 points per game, grabbed 4.6 rebounds, and dealt 224 assists in 31 games as a sophomore en route to his first America East Player of the Year Award. As a junior in 1998-99 Claxton averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per outing as Hofstra ended a postseason drought of 21 years with a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. In his senior season he averaged 22.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game in leading the Pride to a 24-7 record, an America East Championship, and an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 1977. Claxton claimed his second America East Player of the Year honor and also earned the Haggerty Award as the top player in the New York metropolitan area. During his senior campaign Claxton registered three of the top 12 single game scoring performances in program history, including back-to-back 40-point efforts versus Hartford and Maine. He finished his career with a scoring average of 16.9 points per game and added 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per contest. A first round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2000 NBA Draft, Claxton was a member of the 2003 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. He enjoyed a decade-long NBA career, averaging 9.3 ppg and 4.3 apg, before announcing his retirement in 2010. He now serves as a college scout for the Golden State Warriors.

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Legends of the Game Honoring the Greats of the Game

Lamar Green Morehead State University Player (1967-69) Lamar Green was born on March 22, 1947, in Birmingham, Ala. He attended Carver High School in Birmingham and committed to Morehead State in the mid 1960s. Green was a part of the “Birmingham Four,” a nickname given to four Morehead State players from outside the general service region. He played for head coach Bob Wright. After spending the 1965-66 season with the MSU freshman team, Green went on to three outstanding varsity seasons for the Eagles. Green was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference teams in 1967-68 and 1968-69. He still ranks fifth all-time at MSU with 914 career rebounds. Green led the Eagles to records of 16-8, 12-9, and 18-9 in his three varsity seasons. MSU averaged 88.6 points per game in 1968-69 - which ranked first in the OVC and 10th in the nation - en route to a share of the conference crown. The standout was selected by Phoenix in the third round of the 1969 NBA Draft and he played for the Suns from 19691974. He moved to New Orleans for the 1974-75 season, where he played in 15 games for the Jazz. After making his debut in October of 1969, Green went on to play 360 games and log 6,448 minutes during his six-year NBA career, averaging 5.2 ppg on 43.0 percent (778-1,808) shooting from the field. He also hauled down 6.4 rebounds a contest.

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He then switched leagues and played for the Oakland Oaks in the American Basketball Association during the 1974-75 campaign. Green appeared in 51 games and played 856 minutes in the ABA. He tallied 270 points that year – for a 5.3 ppg average – and knocked down 115-270 (.426) shots from the floor. Green contributed to Morehead State’s very rich history. The Eagles, who have been playing men’s basketball since the 1929-30 campaign, enter the 2011-12 season with an all-time record of 1,040-977 (.516). MSU has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including two of the past three seasons. The Eagles have also collected 13 OVC championships - nine regular-season titles and four tournament crowns, thanks to players like Lamar Green – the foundation of the program.

Bill Bradley Princeton University Player (1963-65) Bill Bradley holds an incomparable place in Princeton’s athletic history. That his uniform No. 42, which he shared with football predecessor and Heisman Trophy winner Dick Kazmaier, is the only number retired anywhere in Princeton athletics is only an epilogue to Bradley’s amazing career. Bradley, famously from Crystal City, Mo., holds virtually every offensive record that he could have achieved during the time he played - before the 3-point era. His 2,503 points are nearly 1,000 more than the next-closest player, a fact all the more impressive when you consider that he achieved it in only three years. Among those who played NCAA Division I basketball for no more than three seasons, Bradley’s career point total ranks ninth all-time (as of the 2010). When he graduated in 1965, his point total was third all-time. Only Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson and Furman’s Frank Selvy had scored more.

In Princeton’s men’s basketball record book, between single-game, season and career superlatives, Bradley is listed 68 times. His three single-season scoring totals - 682 as a sophomore, 936 as a junior, and 885 as a senior - remain the top three seasons in program history. No other Tiger has scored as many as 40 points in a game, but Bradley did it 11 times. His career scoring average of 30.2 points per game is six points higher than anyone else. And Bradley put in 300 more field goals than any other Tiger. Before embarking on his multi-talented professional life, Bradley led Princeton on its greatest basketball journey, a trip to the 1965 Final Four in Portland, Ore. After a national semifinal loss to Michigan, Bradley’s last hurrah was a 58-point performance in a consolation game win over Wichita State that helped net him Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. All Bradley did after Princeton was earn a Rhodes Scholarship, study at Oxford, win two NBA championships with the New York Knicks, serve his adopted home state of New Jersey for three terms as a United States Senator, run for President in 2000, and settle into a successful privatesector life. The future of the Princeton men’s basketball program is a bright one, but thanks in large part to Bill Bradley, it will always rest on a storied tradition.

Legends of the Game Honoring the Greats of the Game Ernie Calverley University of Rhode Island Player/Coach (1943-46/1958-68)

Ernie Calverley’s name is synonymous with Rhode Island basketball. He is the greatest player in the school’s long and heralded basketball history. One shot made him famous, but the short, skinny kid from Pawtucket, R.I., dazzled college basketball fans in the 1940s on a regular basis with his scoring, passing, and dribbling abilities. As a freshman, he led the Rams to a 16-3 record as he poured in 346 points. Then in the spring of 1943, Uncle Sam called and Calverley left Kingston behind for World War II and the Army Air Corps. After five months in the service, a followup physical revealed a heart murmur that led to his discharge and put his athletic career in jeopardy. Calverley went back to Kingston and was able to return to the court. He scored 534 points in his sophomore season and his 26.7 ppg average led the nation and remains the highest scoring average ever by a Rhode Island player. The next year he tallied 547 points to lead his team to a 19-3 record and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden where the Rams upset Tennessee in the opening round.

The 1945-46 season saw the Rams earn another trip to the NIT. With ten seconds left and down two against Bowling Green in the quarterfinals, Bob Shea inbounded the ball to Calverley behind midcourt where he set his feet and let fly a high-arching shot that swished through the net to tie the score at 74-74 – the most famous shot in Rhode Island history. In overtime, URI outscored its favored opponent, 9-6, as Rhody advanced to the semifinals with an 89-86 win. The Rams went on to beat Muhlenberg in the semis before dropping a heartbreaking 46-45 decision to Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky team. Despite the loss, Calverley was named the tournament’s MVP. When it was over, the three-time AllAmerican had scored 1,868 career points, at the time the most points scored by an individual in college basketball history. In 1957, he was named head coach at his alma mater where he remained for 11 seasons, earned two trips to the NCAA Tournament and compiled a 154-125 record to become the second all-time winningest coach at URI behind his college coach, Frank Keaney.

M.K. Turk University of West Alabama Player (1962-64)

Competition is something that did not bother Turk. As a senior, the Tiger averaged 22.8 points per game and was named to the all-conference team in his junior and senior campaigns. It was an outstanding career, but it would only get better as Turk started his life after Livingston State College. After several years in the coaching profession, Turk made his way to Memphis State as an assistant coach. It was his next stop at Southern Miss that would define his career. In 20 years, Turk compiled a 300-267 record, with his teams making two appearances in the NCAA Tournament and eight NIT appearances, including a 1987 NIT championship - probably Turk’s proudest moment as a coach. “That was a special group of guys,” said the national champion Turk. “They were gym rats and just represented what was great in basketball.” It was a defining moment in a career marked by success and competitive drive - a career that started at the University of West Alabama. “I owe a lot to that place. I will never forget my time there, and most importantly will never forget my teammates that mean so much to me.”

The year was 1962 in Livingston, Ala. by any standards it was a trying time in that part of the country. At the height of civil rights battles across the South, the sleepy little town of Livingston needed something to keep its mind off of its surroundings welcome to the stage, M.K. Turk. “We did not have great teams back then, but I did have great teammates,” said the loyal Turk. After a couple of seasons playing at Copiah-Lincoln in Mississippi, Turk made his way west to play at Livingston State College, now known as the University of West Alabama. In his two-year career at LSC, Turk competed in the Alabama Collegiate Conference. According to Turk, competing in the ACC was not an easy task. “We had some stiff competition during those days,” said Turk. “You take a look at those schools and some of them are now competing in Division I - teams like Jacksonville State and Troy.”

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Year-by-Year Results 2010

2010 All-Tournament Team Randy Culpepper (UTEP) Rick Jackson (Syracuse) Kris Joseph (Syracuse) Darius Morris (Michigan) Brian Oliver (Georgia Tech)

No. 10 Syracuse did what it had to do in earning the Legends Classic championship. After a pair of wins at home, the Orange downed Michigan (53-50) and George Tech (80-76) in the narrowest margin of Championship Round victories in the four-year history of the event. Tournament MVP Rick Jackson was consistency personified, scoring 10 points and hauling down 12 rebounds against the Wolverines and posting 10 points and 14 rebounds against the Yellow Jackets. Jackson also shattered all the tournament rebounding records with 26 in the championship series and 58 for the tournament. He also had a tournament single-game record 22 rebounds in the opener against Detroit. Championship Rounds Boardwalk Hall • Atlantic City, N.J. 11/27/10 #10 Syracuse 80, Georgia Tech 76 (championship) 11/27/10 UTEP 65, Michigan 56 (consolation) 11/26/10 Georgia Tech 71, UTEP 61 11/26/10 #10 Syracuse 53, Michigan 50 Syracuse Regional Carrier Dome • Syracuse, N.Y. 11/21/10 #11 Syracuse 63, William & Mary 60 11/16/10 #11 Syracuse 66, Detroit 55 Ann Arbor Regional Crisler Arena • Ann Arbor, Mich. 11/21/10 Michigan 80, Gardner-Webb 58 11/18/10 Michigan 69, Bowling Green 50 Atlanta Regional Alexander Memorial Coliseum • Atlanta, Ga. 11/19/10 Georgia Tech 77, Niagara 51 11/17/10 Georgia Tech 78, Albany 51 El Paso Regional Don Haskins Center • El Paso, Texas 11/20/10 UTEP 77, Western Carolina 65 11/14/10 UTEP 87, Mercer 74 Detroit Subregional Calihan Hall • Detroit, Mich. 11/28/10 Albany 56, Bowling Green 55 11/28/10 Detroit 96, Niagara 77 11/27/10 Albany 75, Niagara 65 11/27/10 Detroit 71, Bowling Green 62 11/26/10 Niagara 65, Bowling Green 61 11/26/10 Detroit 84, Albany 82 (2OT) Williamsburg Subregional Kaplan Arena • Williamsburg, Va. 11/28/10 Gardner-Webb 78, Mercer 65 11/28/10 Western Carolina 64, William & Mary 39 11/27/10 Gardner-Webb 71, Western Carolina 65 11/27/10 William & Mary 57, Mercer 52 11/26/10 Mercer 71, Western Carolina 66 11/26/10 William & Mary 56, Gardner-Webb 55

Award Winners

Most Valuable Player Rick Jackson (Syracuse) Detroit Subregional Team Logan Aronhalt (Albany) Kashief Edwards (Niagara) Eli Holman (Detroit) Nick Minnerath (Detroit) Scott Thomas (Bowling Green) Detroit Subregional MVP Eli Holman (Detroit)

Erving Walker, Florida, 2009

2009 They entered the season unranked. They were facing the No. 2 team in the country, one which would go on to the Final Four. It didn’t matter. Florida defeated Michigan State, 77-74, in the semifinals of the Legends Classic and then beat Rutgers, 73-58, to claim the 2009 title. Tournament MVP Erving Walker, who scored all 12 of his points against the Spartans in the second half and dished out seven assists, had 11 points and five assists against the Scarlet Knights to lead the Gators to their second win in as many days. When it was over, the Gators went from unranked to No. 11 in the country. Championship Rounds Boardwalk Hall • Atlantic City, N.J. 11/28/09 Florida 73, Rutgers 58 (championship) 11/28/09 #2 Michigan State 106, Massachusetts 68 (consolation) 11/27/09 Rutgers 83, Massachusetts 75 11/27/09 Florida 77, #2 Michigan State 74 East Lansing Regional Breslin Center • East Lansing, Mich. 11/22/09 #2 Michigan State 90, Valparaiso 60 11/20/09 #2 Michigan State 75, Toledo 62

Williamsburg Subregional MVP Marcus Kitts (William & Mary)

2009 All-Tournament Team Anthony Gurley (Massachusetts) Kalin Lucas (Michigan State) Vernon Macklin (Florida) Mike Rosario (Rutgers) Erving Walker (Florida) Most Valuable Player Erving Walker (Florida) Statesboro Subregional Team Antonio Hanson (Georgia Southern) Brandon Hazzard (Troy) Willie Powers (Georgia Southern) Josh Simmons (Arkansas-Fort Smith) Brandon Wood (Valparaiso) Statesboro Subregional MVP Willie Powers (Georgia Southern) Philadelphia Subregional Team Jake Barnett (Toledo) Marques Blakely (Vermont) Jamie Harris (Drexel) Jon Jaques (Cornell) Ryan Wittman (Cornell)

Piscataway Regional Louis Brown Athletic Center Piscataway, N.J. 11/22/09 Vermont 77, Rutgers 71 11/20/09 Rutgers 58, Drexel 56 Gainesville Regional O’Connell Center • Gainesville, Fla. 11/20/09 Florida 80, Troy 58 11/18/09 Florida 69, Georgia Southern 49

TicketCity Legends Classic

Williamsburg Subregional Team Marcus Kitts (William & Mary) Quinn McDowell (William & Mary) Jon Moore (Gardner-Webb) Jeff Smith (Mercer) Mike Williams (Western Carolina)

Philadelphia Subregional MVP Ryan Wittman (Cornell) H

Award Winners

Year-by-Year Results

2008

2009(continued)

All-Tournament Team Kodi Augustus (Mississippi State) DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh) Trevor Cook (Texas Tech) Klay Thompson (Washington State) Sam Young (Pittsburgh) Most Valuable Player Sam Young (Pittsburgh)

2007 All-Tournament Team A.J. Abrams (Texas) Connor Atchley (Texas) D.J. Augustin (Texas) Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia) Chris Lofton (Tennessee) Most Valuable Player D.J. Augustin (Texas)

Amherst Regional Mullins Center • Amherst, Mass. 11/21/09 Massachusetts 94, Arkansas-Ft. Smith 68 11/18/09 Cornell 74, Massachusetts 61 Statesboro Subregional Hanner Fieldhouse • Statesboro, Ga. 11/29/09 Valparaiso 86, Arkansas-Fort Smith 74 11/29/09 Georgia Southern 80, Troy 77 11/28/09 Troy 80, Valparaiso 64 11/28/09 Ga. Southern 86, Ark.-Fort Smith 77 (OT) 11/27/09 Troy 115, Arkansas-Fort Smith 76 11/27/09 Valparaiso 97, Georgia Southern 89 Philadelphia Subregional Daskalakis Athletic Coliseum • Philadelphia, Pa. 11/29/09 Vermont 82, Toledo 49 11/29/09 Cornell 61, Drexel 54 11/28/09 Cornell 67, Vermont 59 11/28/09 Drexel 69, Toledo 59 11/27/09 Cornell 78, Toledo 60 11/27/09 Drexel 74, Vermont 61

2008

Sam Young, Pittsburgh, 2008

The Panthers won the Legends Classic with a 57-43 win over Washington State. In fact, combined with an 80-67 win over Texas Tech and two Regional Round victories, Pitt outscored their Legends competition by an average of 18 points per game. Pitt squared off with Texas Tech in the semifinals. Sam Young scored 24 points and DeJuan Blair had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The next night, Young, the Tournament's MVP, had 15 points, Blair posted seven points and 10 boards, and Levance Fields netted 14 points in the win over WSU. Championship Rounds Prudential Center • Newark, N.J. 11/29/08 #4 Pittsburgh 57, Washington State 43 (championship) 11/29/08 Texas Tech 77, Mississippi State 73 (consolation) 11/28/08 #4 Pittsburgh 80, Texas Tech 67 11/28/08 Washington State 63, Mississippi State 52

Hackensack Subregional Rothman Center • Teaneck, N.J. 11/30/08 Akron 85, Fairleigh Dickinson 41 11/29/08 Eastern Kentucky 69, Akron 57 11/28/08 Eastern Ky. 83, Fairleigh Dickinson 47 Akron Subregional Rhodes Arena • Akron, Ohio 11/25/08 Akron 81, Urbana 37 Richmond Subregional McBrayer Arena • Richmond, Ky. 11/25/08 Eastern Kentucky 91, Thiel College 47

2007 The inaugural Legends Classic featured two teams in the Top 16 and, by year’s end it included three teams in the Top 20. The first semifinal pitted No. 16 Texas against New Mexico State. D.J. Augustin posted 25 points and 10 assists as the Longhorns rolled to a 102-87 victory. The second semifinal went down to the wire with No. 7 Tennessee squeaking out a 74-72 win over West Virginia. That left Texas and Tennessee to decide the championship. The Longhorns had four players with 20 or more points in a 97-78 win over the Vols, led by Tournament MVP Augustin’s 23 points. Championship Rounds Prudential Center • Newark, N.J. 11/24/07 #16 Texas 97, #7 Tennessee 78 (championship) 11/24/07 West Virginia 75, New Mexico State 61 (consolation) 11/23/07 #7 Tennessee 74, West Virginia 72 11/23/07 #16 Texas 102, New Mexico State 87 Las Cruces Regional Pan American Center • Lac Cruces, N.M. 11/16/07 New Mexico State 100, LeMoyne-Owen 64 11/14/07 New Mexico State 75, UC Davis 65 Austin Regional Erwin Center • Austin, Texas 11/18/07 #16 Texas 100, Arkansas-Monticello 52 11/16/07 #16 Texas 73, UC Davis 42

Pittsburgh Regional Petersen Events Center • Pittsburgh, Pa. 11/22/08 #4 Pittsburgh 86, Indiana (Pa.) 60 11/21/08 #4 Pittsburgh 86, Akron 67

Morgantown Regional WVU Coliseum • Morgantown, W.Va. 11/18/07 West Virginia 106, Prairie View A&M 41 11/16/07 West Virginia 81, Arkansas-Monticello 53

Lubbock Regional United Spirit Arena • Lubbock, Texas 11/22/08 Texas Tech 98, Eastern Kentucky 84 11/20/08 Texas Tech 167, East Central Okla. 115

Knoxville Regional Thompson-Bolling Arena • Knoxville, Tenn. 11/16/07 #7 Tennessee 89, Prairie View A&M 75 11/14/07 #7 Tennessee 101, Arkansas-Monticello 44

Starkville Regional Humphrey Coliseum H Starkville, Miss. 11/22/08 Mississippi St. 84, Fairleigh Dickinson 58 11/19/08 Mississippi St. 102, North Alabama 61

Davis Regional The Pavilion • Davis, Calif. 11/18/07 UC Davis 71, UC Santa Cruz 49 11/11/07 UC Davis 97, La Verne 55

Pullman Regional Beasley Coliseum • Pullman, Wash. 11/18/08 Washington St. 55, Fairleigh Dickinson 33

Prairie View Regional William J. Nicks Gymnasium • Prairie View, Texas 11/14/07 Prairie View A&M 88, Schreiner 59

TicketCity Legends Classic

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Top Performer

Event Records

D.J. Augustin Texas, 2007 D.J. Augustin helped Texas to the inaugural Legends Classic title in 2007, while being named to the AllTournament Team and taking home the tournamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Valuable Player award. Augustinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance was truly a well-rounded effort as the 5-10 guard averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the four games of the tournament. Augustin put a stamp on his efforts with a 23-point, eightassist outing against Tennessee in the championship game, but it was his semifinal game that drew the eyes of many at the Prudential Center. While teammate A.J. Abrams led the Longhorns with 31 points, Augustin added 25 points, dished out 10 assists, and collected four steals as Texas beat New Mexico State, 10287. Many of his assists that night were to Abrams, who connected on nine 3-point field goals in the game, but Augustin also made 11 of his 15 field goal attempts. In the process, he established the tournament record for assists (35). Augustin was a consensus first-team All-American, as well as Academic All-American during his last year at Texas. In fact, he recorded a 4.0 GPA in each of his last two semesters in Austin. Two years playing for the Longhorns was enough for Augustin to see if his skills were good enough to head to the next level. He was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats. This all from a young man who was born and raised in New Orleans, until being forced to move away due to Hurricane Katrina. He played his final year in Missouri City, Texas, but was still able to graduate with his classmates at a ceremony in Houston.

Individual (Single Game) Points 39 Brandon Wood (Valparaiso), vs. Georgia Southern, Nov. 27, 2009 Field Goals Made 13 Brandon Wood (Valparaiso), vs. Georgia Southern, Nov. 27, 2009 Dejuan Blair (Pittsburgh) vs. Indiana (Pa.), Nov. 22, 2008 Field Goals Attempted 25 Sam Young (Pittsburgh), vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 28, 2008 Three-Point Field Goals Made 9 A.J. Abrams (Texas), vs. New Mexico State, Nov. 23, 2007

D.J. Augustin, Texas, 2007

Individual (Tournament) Points 103 A.J. Abrams (Texas), 2007 Field Goals Made 39 A.J. Abrams (Texas), 2007 Field Goals Attempted 74 Logan Aronhalt (Albany), 2010 Three-Point Field Goals Made 23 A.J Abrams (Texas), 2007 Three-Point Field Goals Attempted 42 Antonio Hanson (Georgia Southern), 2009 Free Throws Made 25 Marques Blakely (Vermont), 2009 Anthony Gurley (Massachusetts), 2009 Free Throws Attempted 38 Marques Blakely (Vermont), 2009 Total Rebounds 58 Rick Jackson (Syracuse), 2010 Offensive Rebounds 24 DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), 2008 Defensive Rebounds 37 Rick Jackson (Syracuse), 2010 Assists 35 D.J. Augustin (Texas), 2007 Turnovers 17 Ricky Harris (Massachusetts), 2009 D.J. Augustin (Texas), 2007 Steals 13 Scoop Jardine (Syracuse), 2010 Iman Shumpert (Georgia Tech), 2010 Louis Dale (Cornell), 2009 Blocked Shots 21 Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State), 2008

TicketCity Legends Classic

Three-Point Field Goals Attempted 13 Logan Aronhalt (Albany), vs. Bowling Green, Nov. 28, 2010 Antonio Hanson (Georgia Southern), vs. Valparaiso, Nov. 27, 2009 Free Throws Made 12 Levance Fields (Pittsburgh), vs. Akron, Nov. 21, 2008 Free Throws Attempted 21 Cameron Tyler (Fairleigh Dickinson), vs. Mississippi State, Nov. 22, 2008 Total Rebounds 22 Rick Jackson (Syracuse), vs. Detroit, Nov. 16, 2010 Offensive Rebounds 8 Rick Jackson (Syracuse), vs. Detroit, Nov. 16, 2010 Jeff Foote (Cornell), vs. Toledo, Nov. 27, 2009 DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), vs. Indiana (Pa.), Nov. 22, 2008 DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh), vs. Akron, Nov. 21, 2008 Defensive Rebounds 14 Rick Jackson (Syracuse), vs. Detroit, Nov. 16, 2010 Assists 11 Darius Morris (Michigan), vs. Bowling Green, Nov. 18, 2010 D.J. Augustin (Texas), vs. UC Davis, Nov. 16, 2007 Turnovers 8 (7x), last by Chase Simon (Detroit), vs. Bowling Green, Nov. 27, 2010 Steals 6 Brian McNair (Gardner-Webb), vs. William & Mary, Nov. 26, 2010 Mark Payne (UC Davis), vs. UC Santa Cruz, Nov. 18, 2007 Ryan Silva (UC Davis), vs. UC Santa Cruz, Nov. 18, 2007 Blocked Shots 8 Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State), vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, Nov. 22, 2008

Event Records Team (Tournament)

Team (Single Game)

Points 409 Texas Tech, 2008

Points 167 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

Field Goals Made 152 Texas Tech, 2008 Field Goals Attempted 299 Texas Tech, 2008 Three-Point Field Goals Made 48 Texas, 2007 Three-Point Field Goals Attempted 106 West Virginia, 2007 Free Throws Made 79 Detroit, 2010 Free Throws Attempted 124 Detroit, 2010 Total Rebounds 181 Detroit, 2010 Offensive Rebounds 79 New Mexico State, 2007 Defensive Rebounds 133 Michigan State, 2009 Assists 89 Michigan State, 2009 Turnovers 79 Arkansas-Fort Smith, 2009 Steals 48 Georgia Tech, 2010 Blocked Shots 45 Mississippi State, 2008

They Went on To... TicketCity Legends Classic participants after the event 2010

Field Goals Made 67 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

Syracuse (won the tournament) advanced to 3rd Round of NCAA Tournament

Field Goals Attempted 113 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

UTEP (won consolation game) advanced to NIT Michigan (lost in consolation game) advanced to 3rd Round of NCAA Tournament

Three-Point Field Goals Made 16 Eastern Kentucky, vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 22, 2008 Tennessee, vs. Texas, Nov. 24, 2007 Texas, vs. New Mexico State, Nov. 23, 2007

2009 Florida (won the tournament) advanced to NCAA Tournament

Three-Point Field Goals Attempted 36 Eastern Kentucky, vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 22, 2008

Michigan State (lost in championship game) advanced to Final Four of NCAA Tournament

Free Throws Made 32 UTEP, vs. Mercer, Nov. 13, 2010 East Central Okla., vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 20, 2008

Cornell (went 4-0 in tournament) advanced to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament Troy (went 2-2 in the tournament) Advanced to NIT

Free Throws Attempted 47 Tennessee, vs. Prairie View A&M, Nov. 16, 2007

2008

Total Rebounds 65 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

Pittsburgh (won the tournament) advanced to Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament

Offensive Rebounds 27 Arkansas-Monticello, vs. Texas, Nov. 18, 2007 Tennessee, vs. Prairie View A&M, Nov. 16, 2007

Washington State (lost in championship game) advanced to NIT Mississippi St. (lost in consolation game) advanced to NCAA Tournament

Defensive Rebounds 39 Detroit, vs. Niagara, Nov. 28, 2010 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

Akron (went 2-2 in the tournament) advanced to NCAA Tournament

2007

Assists 35 Texas Tech, vs. East Central Okla., Nov. 20, 2008

Texas (won the tournament) advanced to Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament

Turnovers 34 Prairie View A&M, vs. West Virginia, Nov. 18, 2007

Tennessee (lost in championship game) advanced to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament

Steals 21 West Virginia, vs. Prairie View A&M, Nov. 18, 2007 Blocked Shots 15 Mississippi State, vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, Nov. 22, 2008

Rick Jackson, Syracuse, 2010

TicketCity Legends Classic

West Virginia (won consolation game) advanced to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament

IZOD Center Facts & Figures

IZOD Center

The IZOD Center hosts concerts, family shows, special events, and professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events. • The name change to IZOD Center took place on November 1, 2007. • Previously named Continental Airlines Arena (January 1, 1996 – October 31, 2007) • Originally named Brendan Byrne Arena after the former Governor of New Jersey; also referred to as Meadowlands Arena. Awards: The Arena was named “Arena of the Year” a record eight times by Performance Magazine and was ranked the sixth highest grossing arena of the last decade by Billboard Magazine Metlife Sports Complex: IZOD Center, along with MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack, make up the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Complex sits on a 750-acre site and is considered one of the greatest sports and entertainment complexes in the world. Managed By: New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Opening Day: July 2, 1981 -- Bruce Springsteen opened the arena with the first of six sold-out concerts. Attendance: An average of 125 events attract over 1 million patrons per year Capacity: 19,000 Suites: 27 and 1 party suite located on the concourse level Parking: 4,000 cars in immediate arena area and 20,000 additional spaces in stadium and racetrack lots. Site Occupied: 48 acres Building Specifications: 475 feet (length) x 408 feet (width) x 140 feet (height) Structural steel: 5,500 tons Pre-cast concrete plank: 3,975 pieces Concrete poured: 21,000 cubic yards Air Conditioning Capacity: 3,000 tons Exhibition Space: 25,000 sq. ft. Original Cost: $85 million Architect: A joint venture between Grad Partnership (architect) and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners, Newark, NJ (engineering/planning)

College basketball has developed a rich and impressive history at IZOD Center over the past 30 years. More than four million fans have cheered at over 500 games representing 140 colleges and universities. IZOD Center has a long history with the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. It all started in 1984 when the arena hosted first- and second-round games and culminated in 1996 with the most anticipated college basketball event of the year – the Final Four – coming to New Jersey. Kentucky defeated Syracuse 76-67, in the championship game. It was also the last Final Four played in a non-dome facility. The East Regional has been held at the arena 11 times – ranking second all-time in NCAA history. Each one has been filled with excitement and drama. In 2007, Georgetown came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to push the game into overtime, only to then score 14 straight points to upset No.1 seed North Carolina, 96-84, at the final buzzer. Duke reached the Final Four five times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999) from this venue, and who can forget Tate George’s desperation jumper at the buzzer to give Connecticut an unlikely victory over Clemson in 1990. IZOD Center was the off-campus home of the Seton Hall Pirates for 22 seasons. The arena has hosted the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament, Atlantic 10 tournament, Preseason NIT, and many marquee regular-season matchups, including a rematch last December of the dramatic NCAA National Championship game between Duke and Butler. The arena served as the site of the Jimmy V Classic for eight years. In that time, proceeds from the game contributed more than $500,000 to the V Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the late Jim Valvano dedicated to saving lives by helping find a cure for cancer. The 1997 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, produced by the Gazelle Group, was held here as well. Other sporting events held at the arena include mixed martial arts, freestyle motocross, gymnastics, lacrosse, indoor soccer, track and field, and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) high school hockey, basketball, and wrestling championships. Family entertainment includes Disney On Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, Harlem Globetrotters, Sesame Street Live, Monster Trucks, and The Wiggles.

TicketCity Legends Classic

IZOD Center was home to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils for 25 seasons. During that time, the Devils won three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003). The NBA’s New Jersey Nets also played at the IZOD Center and advanced to the NBA Finals in backto-back seasons in 2002 and 2003. IZOD Center is one of the top concert venues in the country and was named the sixth highest grossing venue of the past decade by Billboard Magazine. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the venue in July 1981 with six sold-out concerts. Over the years, Springsteen has played over 50 sold-out shows at the arena, including a record 15 in 1999, making him the venue’s top-selling artist. A sampling of other performers that have played at the arena include U2, Billy Joel, Madonna, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, The Eagles, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, The Who, Roger Waters, and Prince. Nearly 65 million people have attended over 6,500 events at IZOD Center since it opened in 1981. IZOD Center is part of the MetLife Sports Complex that includes MetLife Stadium and Meadowlands Racetrack. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is the governing body that oversees the operation of the IZOD Center. The MetLife Sports Complex is in the midst of dynamic development and change. Giants Stadium was demolished to make way for the $1.6 billion MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010, and remains the only stadium to house two NFL teams – the Giants and Jets. MetLife Stadium will “Make Some History” in February 2014 when it hosts Super Bowl XLVIII©. This will mark the first time the game is played at a cold-weather site that doesn’t have a dome. A new rail line that connects the complex directly to the entire New Jersey Transit rail network also opened in 2010. American Dream Meadowlands is scheduled to open in Fall 2013. When complete, it will be one of the largest and most unique shopping, entertainment, and tourism centers in the world, creating an experience rivaled only by West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Mall of America® in Bloomington, Minnesota. In addition to retail and fine dining, American Dream will include an amusement park, ice rink, water park, and America’s first snow dome for indoor skiing. Enjoy the games!

About The Northeast Conference NEC History After celebrating its 30-year anniversary as an NCAA Division I athletic conference in 2010-11, the Northeast Conference (NEC) enters the next phase in its evolution under the leadership of Noreen Morris, now entering her third year as NEC Commissioner. The NEC and its member institutions are committed to providing opportunities for student-athletes to achieve their fullest potential both in athletic competition and in the classroom. Likewise, the Conference continually strives to be an NCAA Division I leader for athletic success, academic achievement and integrity, sportsmanship, equity and diversity, community partnership and national engagement.

NCAA Division I Athletics

When the Northeast Conference (NEC) was first established as the ECAC-Metro Conference back in 1981, the league's founders had one goal in mind: to create a competitive NCAA Division I men's basketball conference for unaffiliated schools on the Eastern seaboard. A single-sport entity at its inception, the NEC has grown far beyond expectations over the past three decades, having transformed itself into a burgeoning 12-member, 23-sport conference. The remarkable success story of the conference began to unfold in 1985, when the league began sponsoring additional sports. Three years later, a change of name was in order and the Northeast Conference as we know it today was born. With membership and sport sponsorship continuing to grow over the years, the NEC now enjoys qualification or play-in access to 14 different NCAA Championships (baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball). Though the NEC has featured various incarnations since its inception, charter members Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Robert Morris, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner remain part of the current 12-school alignment. They are joined by Monmouth (admitted in 1985), Mount St. Mary's (1989), Central Connecticut State (1997), Quinnipiac (1998) and Sacred Heart (1999). NEC expansion continues with the official addition of Bryant University in 2012 as the league's 12th member, which will give the league a six-state geographic footprint with access to such major media markets as New York City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Hartford and Providence.

Northeast Conference Membership Though the NEC has featured various incarnations since its inception, charter members Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Robert Morris, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner remain part of the current 11school alignment. They are joined by Monmouth (admitted in 1985), Mount St. Mary’s (1989), Central Connecticut State (1997), Quinnipiac (1998) and Sacred Heart (1999). NEC expansion continues with the addition of Bryant University in 2012 as its 12th member, which will give the league a six-state geographic footprint with access to such major media markets as New York City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Hartford and Providence.

NEC member institutions now compete in 23 championship sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track and field, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

Evolving & Expanding In recent years, the NEC has taken aim at raising the brand awareness of the league, elevating the caliber of its championship sports and enhancing the opportunities and experiences for the more than 4,500 student-athletes that compete in the Conference. Last season, the NEC upgraded its football membership when the University of Rhode Island accepted an invitation to join the league as an associate member beginning in the 2013 season. The Conference also unveiled its inaugural Hall of Fame class as part of its 30th Anniversary celebration. The NEC is set to embark on a number of new initiatives related to the future growth of the Conference. Most notably, the league is developing multi-year comprehensive strategic plan for enhancing and promoting men's and women's basketball, and preparing for the launch of an online multimedia community in 2012-13.

Institution Joined NEC Bryant University 2012 Central Connecticut State University 1997 Fairleigh Dickinson University 1981 Long Island University 1981 Monmouth University 1985 Mount St. Mary’s University 1989 Quinnipiac University 1998 Robert Morris University 1981 Sacred Heart University 1999 St. Francis (NY) College 1981 Saint Francis (PA) University 1981 Wagner College 1981

Associate Members Football Albany, Duquesne Field Hockey Rider, Siena Women’s Bowling Adelphi, Kutztown, New Jersey City, Saint Peter’s

Follow the Northeast Conference Official Website: www.northeastconference.org NEC Overtime! Blog: necsports.posterous.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/NECsports Twitter: @NECsports YouTube: www.youtube.com/NECsports

Julian Boyd

Long Island 2010-11 NEC Men’s Champion

2011-12 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE MEN’S PRESEASON COACHES POLL

S P O O H NEC E S I R E H ON T

1. Long Island (10) 2. Robert Morris (2) 3. Central Connecticut State 4. Wagner 5. Quinnipiac 6. Mount St. Maryʼs 7. Bryant 8. Sacred Heart 9. Saint Francis (PA) 10. Monmouth 11. St. Francis (NY) 12. Fairleigh Dickinson

2011-12 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S PRESEASON COACHES POLL 1. Saint Francis (PA) (4) 2. Robert Morris (2) 3. Long Island (2) 4. Monmouth (2) Sac Sacred Heart (2) 6. Quinnipiac 7. Fairleigh Dickinson 8. Bryant 9. Central Connecticut State 10. Wagner 11. Mount St. Maryʼs 12. St. Francis (NY)

Brittany Lilley

Saint Francis (PA) 2010-11 NEC Women’s Champion

FOR INFORMATION ON THE NEC TELEVISION PACKAGE PLEASE VISIT WWW.NORTHEASTCONFERENCE.ORG

2K Sports Classic features strong Field

2011-12 Season Preview

The field for the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is headlined by a most-intriguing group of schools. Arizona is coming off a 30-win season that saw the Wildcats come within a whisker of the Final Four. Texas A&M, under the direction of first-year head coach Billy Kennedy, is atop the Big 12’s preseason poll for the first time ever. Mississippi State returns 12 players from a team that won 17 games a year ago. St. John’s, which has only one player returning from last year’s 21-win NCAA Tournament team, welcomes a recruiting class that is ranked among the top five in the country. The four will host Regional Round games on their campuses from Nov. 7-9 before heading to New York’s Madison Square Garden for the Championship Rounds, November 17-18.

By John Akers, Basketball Times

15. Arizona The Wildcats (30-8) figured to lose AllAmerican F Derrick Williams from an Elite Eight team that lost to eventual national champion UConn, though the decision by G MoMo Jones to transfer was a jolt. There’s still a layer of talent there, including freshman G Josiah Turner, that will make for a far more balanced team. 18. Texas A&M Former Murray State coach Billy Kennedy takes over the Aggies (249), who should continue the winning legacy established by Mark Turgeon and Billy Gillispie. Secondteam All-Big 12 F Khris Middleton (14.4, 5.2) and third-team AllBig 12 F David Loubeau (11.8, 5.0) return to a team that over-achieved to reach the NCAA Tournament. Arizona’s Kyle Fogg

One of the most anticipated college seasons in a decade – thank you, NBA lockout – brings five or six teams that might be the preseason favorite in a normal season. North Carolina might be the consensus favorite, but it isn’t often that the early polls would ignore the nation’s top player (Ohio State F Jared Sullinger), a perfect blend of talent and experience (Kentucky) or a defending national champion that loses just one starter and adds one of the nation’s top freshmen (UConn). That alone should give you an idea how good these Tar Heels must be. 1. North Carolina The Tar Heels (29-8) are the nation’s consensus No. 1-ranked team for obvious reasons. No team has a more acclaimed front court than North Carolina’s trio – F Tyler Zeller (15.7, 7.2 rpg); F Harrison Barnes (15.7, 5.8); and F John Henson (11.7, 10.1). PG Kendall Marshall (6.2) led all freshmen with 6.2 apg. 2. Ohio State The Buckeyes (34-3) avoided an anticipated dropoff with the unexpected return of F Jared Sullinger (17.2, 10.2), a first-team All-American, and second-team All-Big Ten G William Buford (14.4). Great support is available from sophomores G Aaron Craft (4.8 apg) and F DeShaun Thomas, who averaged 7.5 points over just 14.0 minutes per game. 3. Kentucky The Wildcats (29-9) mix a trademark top-ranked recruiting class with more holdovers than usual. F Terrence Jones (15.7, 8.8), G Doron Lamb (12.3) and F-G Darius Miller (10.9) are joined by a freshman Fab Four – F Michael KiddGilchrist, F Anthony Davis, G Marquis Teague and F Kyle Wiltjer. 4. Connecticut The defending national-champion Huskies (32-9) – 9-9 in the Big East, yet 14-0 in the Maui, Big East and NCAA tournaments – must march on without AllAmerica G Kemba Walker. G-F Jeremy Lamb (11.1) flourished during the postseason, averaging 16.2 ppg. Highly ranked freshmen C Andre Drummond and F DeAndre Daniels signed during the summer.

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5. Syracuse* (2010) The Orange (27-8) might be nationalchampionship caliber with the return of F Kris Joseph (14.3), G Scoop Jardine (12.5, 5.9 apg) and G Brandon Triche (11.1). Or Syracuse could miss the huge void left by C Rick Jackson – who led the Big East in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks and averaged 35.6 minutes in the post. 6. Duke Though the Blue Devils (32-5) have a lot to replace (Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, Kyrie Irving), dynamic freshman G Austin Rivers arrives and F Mason Plumlee (7.2, 8.4 rpg) returns to lead a cast of solid role players. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will break Bob Knight’s record 902 Division I victories with Duke’s third victory. 7. Vanderbilt* (2011) The Commodores (23-11) would be the league favorite in almost any other season, with the return of first-team All-SEC G John Jenkins (19.5), with his streak of 33 consecutive double-digit games; second-team All-SEC G-F Jeffery Taylor (14.7, 5.5); the much-improved, second-team All-SEC C Festus Ezeli (13.0, 6.3); and G Brad Tinsley (10.6, 4.6 apg). 8. Louisville The Cardinals (25-10) lose just a couple of players from a season that was both encouraging (finishing in a tie for third in the Big East) and discouraging (injuries, a first-round NCAA Tournament exit). There’s reason to become encouraged again, with the return of G-F Kyle Kuric (10.8) and G Peyton Siva (9.9, 5.2 apg). 9. Florida* (2009) The Gators (29-8) are swamped with guards, so to speak, from their two second-team All-SEC performers, Erving Walker (14.6) and Kenny Boynton (14.2), to Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (16.7, but only 37.8 percent from the field in 2009-10) and high-scoring freshman Bradley Beal. The loss of three senior forwards raises questions in the front court. 10. Memphis The still-young Tigers (25-10) are deep, deep, deep. They return a starting lineup that includes third-team All-C-USA G Will Barton (12.3) and a bench that includes C-USA tournament MVP G Joe Jackson and G-F Wesley Witherspoon, who was third-team All-C-USA in 2009-10. Plus, they add top-10 recruit F Adonis Thomas.

2011-12 Season Preview 11. Pittsburgh* (2008) The Panthers (28-6) lose three starters from the team that won the Big East regular season but lost a heartbreaker to Butler in the NCAA Tournament’s second round. They return the league’s best player, first-team All-Big East G Ashton Gibbs (16.8) – who will move from the point to shooting guard.

19. UCLA The Bruins (23-11) might have been a top-five team nationally, if not for early departures by first-team All-Pac-10 players F Tyler Honeycutt and G Malcolm Lee. They should still be a Top 25 team with first-team All-league F Reeves Nelson (13.9, 9.1) and C Joshua Smith (10.9, 6.3).

12. Xavier The Musketeers (24-8) can aim for greater goals than a sixth straight A-10 regularseason title or seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, with the return of third-team All-America G Tu Holloway (19.7, 5.0 apg) and G Mark Lyons (13.6), who will team up with Holloway to form one of the nation’s top back courts.

20. Marquette The Golden Eagles (22-15) will seek a seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid with second-team All-Big East G Darius JohnsonOdom (15.8) and F Jae Crowder (11.8, 6.8), plus freshman G Todd Mayo.

13. Baylor The Bears (18-13) should have the Big 12’s best front court and among the best in the nation. That group includes second-team All-Big 12 F Perry Jones (13.9, 7.2), F Quincy Acy (12.4, 7.6), starter F Anthony Jones (8.5, 5.3) and freshman F Quincy Miller. National JC player of the year PG Pierre Jackson will boost the back court. 14. Kansas The Jayhawks (35-3) lose four starters, enough to signal an end to a run of seven consecutive Big 12 titles. But that ignores the potential of F Thomas Robinson (7.6, 6.4), who was limited to 14.6 mpg behind the Morris twins and projects to an AllAmerica caliber 15.6 ppg and 13.2 rpg over 30 minutes per game. 15. Arizona (at left) 16. Wisconsin The importance of G Jordan Taylor (18.1, 4.7 apg) to the Badgers (25-9) cannot be overstated. The second-team All-American had the nation’s best assists-to-turnovers ratio (3.83), and the Badgers led the nation in scoring defense (58.5 ppg), free throw percentage (.823), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) and set an NCAA record for fewest turnovers per game (7.58). 17. Alabama The Crimson Tide (25-12) shouldn’t be left out this Selection Sunday with the return of first-team All-SEC F JaMychal Green (15.5, 7.5), second-team All-SEC F Tony Mitchell (15.2, 7.1) and G Trevor Releford (11.0). 18. Texas A&M (at left)

21. Michigan* (2010) The Wolverines (21-14) surprised many by shaking off a six-game losing streak to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten. They might be pushing Ohio State as a Big Ten contender if not for the early departure by G Darius Morris, though G Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.9) and everyone else are back. 22. Cincinnati The Bearcats (26-9) and Mark Cronin, who got off to a 15-0 start, could be returning to the sort of glory days they enjoyed under Bob Huggins, with the return of four starters, including F Yancy Gates (11.9, 6.9) and G Dion Dixon (11.6). Plus, they welcome freshman PF Shaquille Thomas and JC transfer PF Cheikh Mbodji. 23. Gonzaga The Bulldogs (25-10) figure to have an outstanding front court – with 7-foot All-WCC C Robert Sacre (12.5, 6.3) and F Elias Harris (12.4, 6.0), whose performance slipped because of Achilles problems – but must revamp a back court that was prepared to lose first-team All-WCC Stephen Gray but not Demetri Goodson, who left to play football at Baylor. 24. Michigan State* (2009) Expectations were too high for last season’s Spartans (19-15), No. 2 in last season’s AP preseason poll, but they might be too low this season. They return do-everything F Draymond Green (12.6, 8.6 rpg, 4.1 apg) and add freshman F Branden Dawson and Valparaiso transfer G Brandon Wood (16.7), who was first-team All-Horizon League. 25. Missouri [at right) *team has competed in the TicketCity Legends Classic (years of participation in parentheses)

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Mizzou Headlines CBE Classic The field for the Progressive CBE Classic has combined for 79 NCAA Tournament appearances. Missouri, with new head coach Frank Haith, returns nine players from last year’s NCAA Tournament squad. Notre Dame has gone to four straight NCAAs and has won 20 or more games for five consecutive years. California, which has been to the postseason each of the last three years, welcomes back 10 players. Last year, Georgia made its first NCAA trip since 2003. After the four teams host Regional Round games on campus from Nov. 13-17, they will travel to Sprint Center in Kansas City for Championship Rounds action on November 21-22. 25. Missouri The Tigers (23-11) bring cause for optimism and pessimism. All-Big 12 G Marcus Denmon was among five returning starters who got off to a 14-1 start. Missouri’s Marcus Denmon

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