July 6, 2001
Princeton, N.J. - The Gazelle Group and the National Association of Basketball Coaches are pleased to announce the creation of the Guardians Classic, an exempt, sixteen team, men's college basketball tournament.
National powers - Alabama, Iowa, Memphis, and Missouri, - all expected to be ranked in next year's preseason Top 20, will host the opening, regional rounds of the tournament on November 13th & 14th, 2001. The Championship round of the Event will be held on November 20th & 21st at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. Other schools participating in the tournament include Air Force, Boston University, Loyola Marymount, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Mississippi Valley State, New Orleans, Old Dominion, Sacramento State, Samford, Tennessee-Martin, Wofford and Yale. Outlined below are the dates, locations and match-ups for the Event:
Tuesday, November 13thColeman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL: Alabama vs. Mississippi Valley State Samford vs. Loyola Marymount
Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA: Iowa vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore New Orleans vs. Boston University
The Pyramid, Memphis, TN: Memphis vs. Wofford Old Dominion vs. Sacramento State
Hearnes Center, Columbia, MO: Missouri vs. Tennessee-Martin Air Force vs. Yale
Wednesday, November 14th (All sites)
Regional Consolation Game Regional Championship Game
Tuesday, November 20th Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO: Iowa region winner vs. Memphis region winner Alabama region winner vs. Missouri region winner
Wednesday, November 21st Consolation Game Championship Game
"The NABC is delighted to have sixteen, great college basketball programs, representing sixteen different Division I conferences, participating in the inaugural Guardians Classic," said Jim Haney, Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. "What an exciting way to launch our `Guardians of the Game' program and focus attention on the positive aspects of basketball, in addition to the contributions coaches make to their communities."
The Guardians Classic is a partnership of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Gazelle Group, created to promote the NABC's Guardians of the Game program, which emphasizes four core values, advocacy, leadership, service, and education.
Championship Round ticket information will be released in the near future and tickets will be available through TicketMaster. Tickets to the Opening Round games can be purchased through the host school's box office. For more information about the Guardians Classic visit www.guardiansclassic.com or contact Mike Flanigan at (609)921-1300 or mflanigan@gazellegroup.com.