The field is complete and the home schedules are set for the 2020 Legends Classic (@legendsbball), which culminates with the Championship Rounds at Barclays Center from November 23-24.
National programs UConn, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, and Vanderbilt headline the field which also features Eastern Washington, High Point, Liberty, and Monmouth.
The 14th annual Legends Classic features UConn, Notre Dame, USC, and Vanderbilt meeting in the Championship Rounds at Barclays Center on Monday, November 23 with the championship and consolation games being played on November 24.
UConn, Notre Dame, USC, and Vanderbilt will host two games on their home courts in addition to playing a pair of games at Barclays Center. High Point will then host Eastern Washington, Liberty, and Monmouth in the Subregional Rounds, also from November 23-24.
Match-ups for the games in Brooklyn and High Point will be announced at a later date.
This will mark the ninth straight year that Barclays Center will host the Championship Rounds of the Legends Classic. Tickets for the Championship Rounds can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
| —– CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS —– | |
| Semifinal Doubleheader Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y. November 23 TBA vs. TBA TBA vs. TBA |
Championship Doubleheader Barclays Center – Brooklyn, N.Y. November 24 Consolation Game Championship Game |
| —– REGIONAL ROUNDS —– | |
| Storrs Regional Rounds Gampel Pavilion – Storrs, Conn. November 14 High Point at UConn November 18 Monmouth at UConn |
Notre Dame Regional Rounds Purcell Pavilion – Notre Dame Ind. November 17 Eastern Washington at Notre Dame November 20 Liberty at Notre Dame |
| Los Angeles Regional Rounds Galen Center – Los Angeles, Calif. November 13 Eastern Washington at USC November 19 High Point at USC |
Nashville Regional Rounds Memorial Gymnasium – Nashville, Tenn. November 14 Monmouth at Vanderbilt November 17 Liberty at Vanderbilt |
| —– SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS —– | |
| Semifinal Doubleheader High Point, N.C. November 23 TBA vs. TBA TBA vs. TBA |
Championship Doubleheader High Point, N.C. November 24 Consolation Game Championship Game |
In the 2019 Legends Classic, a pair of double-digit victories led then-No. 18 Auburn to the title with wins over New Mexico (84-59) and Richmond (79-65).
UConn (Head Coach: Dan Hurley, Big East Conference)
UConn will be making the jump back to the Big East Conference next season…head coach Dan Hurley will be in his third season at UConn and led the resurgent Huskies to a 19-12 record…the bulk of the Huskies’ roster is expected to return this fall, led by sophomore guard James Bouknight, senior forward Tyler Polley, and sophomore forward Akok Akok…in 2020-21 the Huskies welcome transfer R.J. Cole, who in two years at Howard was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year.
Notre Dame (Head Coach: Mike Brey, Atlantic Coast Conference)
Mike Brey is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, having guided the Fighting Irish to more than 400 wins and 12 NCAA Tournament berths in 20 seasons…this past season, Notre Dame was 20-12…juniors Prentiss Hubb and Dane Goodwin, both of whom scored in double digits this past season, as well as fifth-year senior and shot blocker Juwan Durham, will lead the returning cast in the fall…Notre Dame also welcomes Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan, a former 4-star recruit who averaged 8.7 ppg at Stanford as a freshman…the Irish won the 2016 Legends Classic.
Southern Cal (Head Coach: Andy Enfield, Pac-12 Conference)
Entering his eighth season at USC, Andy Enfield has rebuilt the Trojans’ program…USC has won 108 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history…the Trojans were 22-9 this past year, their fourth 20-win season under Enfield…USC is expected to return a strong young core in senior Elijah Weaver and juniors Ethan Anderson and Isaiah Mobley…they are joined by the No. 2 recruit in the nation (per ESPN.com) in Evan Mobley, a 7-foot center from Temecula, Calif.
Vanderbilt (Head Coach: Jerry Stackhouse, Southeastern Conference)
Following a stellar 18-year pro playing career and a four-year pro coaching career, Jerry Stackhouse will enter his second season at Vanderbilt this fall…a strong nucleus returns for the Commodores, led by a trio of starters in sophomores Scotty Pippen, Jr and Dylan Disu and senior Maxwell Evans…Vanderbilt also welcomes a pair of transfers in former 5-star recruit DJ Harvey (10.8 ppg at Notre Dame in 2018-19) and Quentin Millora-Brown (7.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg at Rice in 2018-19)…Vandy won the 2011 Legends Classic title.
Eastern Washington (Head Coach: Shantay Legans, Big Sky Conference)
The Eags posted a 23-8 record in winning the Big Sky Conference’s regular season title in 2019-20…the 23 wins marked the school’s second-highest Division I season win total while the 16 Big Sky wins were the most ever…head coach Shantay Legans was named the Big Sky’s Coach of the Year…four starters are expected to return this season, led by second-team All-Conference performer Jacob Davison and third-team pick Kim Aiken…the Eags competed in the 2016 Legends Classic, winning the subregional title.
High Point (Head Coach: Tubby Smith, Big South Conference)
Tubby Smith will enter his second season at his alma mater…the three-time National Coach of the Year has taken his teams to 20 postseason trips during his illustrious career…all five starters are expected back in the fall, led by Big South All-Freshman team honoree John-Michael Wright, who led HPU in scoring a year ago…sophomore forward Eric Coleman Jr. joins Wright in leading the returning Panthers.
Liberty (Head Coach: Ritchie McKay, ASUN Conference)
Head coach Ritchie McKay has guided the Flames to their two best seasons ever…in 2018-19, Liberty won 29 games and followed that with a 30-win campaign and the ASUN regular season and tournament championships last season…for his efforts, McKay shared conference Coach of the Year honors…this season, two starters return in junior guard Darius McGhee and senior swingman Elijah Cufee…Liberty previously played in the 2012 Legends Classic.
Monmouth (Head Coach: King Rice, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year King Rice enters his 10th season at Monmouth, guiding the Hawks to 149 wins and two postseason berths during his tenure, including an 18-13 mark this past season…three starters are expected back this fall, led by the All-MAAC first-team selection and leading scorer senior Deion Hammond…junior guard Sam Chaput is one of the returning starters while redshirt sophomore Donovann Toatley joins the Hawks after transferring from Chattanooga.
About the Legends Classic
Begun in 2007, the Legends Classic has become one of the nation’s most eagerly-anticipated early-season men’s basketball tournaments. Regularly attracting the top programs in the country, four teams from the nation’s most prestigious conferences host a pair of games before heading to Brooklyn, N.Y., and Barclays Center – the home of the Brooklyn Nets – to compete in the nationally televised Legends Classic Championship Rounds.
About the Gazelle Group
The Legends Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Gotham Classic, the Sunshine Slam, and the College Basketball Invitational, as well as the inaugural Holiday Face-Off college hockey tournament. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.
About the Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference (NEC) is the sponsoring conference of the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. Entering its 40th season, the NEC is a NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout seven states. For more information on the NEC, visit the official website at www.northeastconference.org or follow on Twitter @NECsports.
About BSE Global
BSE Global manages and operates Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, and its NBA 2K League affiliate, NetsGC. The company also includes the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Through programming, marketing, sales, and operations, BSE Global delivers dynamic content and experiences for audiences.