COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball senior guard Jordan Geist has been selected to participate in the 2019 Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, scheduled for April 5-7 at Minnesota's Mall of America. Geist, one of four players picked from the Southeastern Conference, will represent the league and Mizzou one final time after an outstanding senior campaign.
The tournament is comprised of all-star teams of seniors, who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, representing all 32 Division I conferences. The teams will compete for a $150,000 prize pool, with the champions taking home $100,000, double the prize money from a year ago. Additionally, the winners will earn the right to compete in the 2019 USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship later this spring.
Geist, one of the most improved players in the nation, is fresh off a senior season that saw him rack up 475 points, 65 3-pointers and 97 assists. He is just the third Tiger since 1990 to reach those marks in a single campaign, joining legends Melvin Booker and Clarence Gilbert.
Geist started all 32 games for the Tigers, averaging 14.8 points per game, reaching double figures 25 times and scoring 20+ points on eight different occasions. The gritty senior improved his scoring average from 7.3 to 14.8 points per game between his junior and senior seasons, the biggest jump by a Tiger from a junior to a senior campaign at Mizzou since Paul O'Liney in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Geist ended his career in style, exploding for 55 points over two games at the 2019 SEC Tournament, including a career-high 30 points in Mizzou's opening-round win over Georgia.
All games at the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be carried live on Twitter or ESPN2. Pool play will begin at 2 p.m. CT on April 5, with 24 games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Pool play will continue on April 6 at 8:30 a.m. CT with 24 more games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Round of 16 and quarterfinal games will be streamed live exclusively on Twitter at 9:30 a.m. CT on April 7, with semifinal, consolation and championship games televised live on ESPN2 later that day at 2 p.m. CT.
Each team roster will be comprised of four eligible seniors from the same Division I conference. Teams will be organized into eight pools of four and each team will be guaranteed three pool play games, earning $1,000 for every victory on Friday and Saturday. The top two teams in each pool will move on to Sunday's knockout stage, where the stakes skyrocket. Only the teams competing in the tournament final will earn additional prize money, with the champions winning $100,000.
Bragging rights for the winners won't end in Minnesota; the 2019 champion will earn the right to represent the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship at the USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship later this spring. There, athletes will have the opportunity to be selected to represent the United States in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, held June 18-23 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Participating athletes will also be considered for the USA Basketball 3x3 athlete pool, which may lead to future opportunities in other FIBA 3x3 competitions. Of note, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will feature 3x3 basketball as a medal sport for the first time.
Admission to the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship is free and fans are encouraged to be part of the atmosphere during regular Mall of America operating hours (10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. CT on April 5-6, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT on April 7).
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @MizzouHoops.