ST. LOUIS – ESPN and tournament organizers today released the pairings for the fifth-annual 76 Classic, which will be played Nov. 24-27 at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center, adjacent to Disneyland. Saint Louis opens the tournament on Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) against Boston College. Tip time is slated for 1 p.m. (St. Louis time) and will be televised on ESPNU.
The other game on SLU’s side of the bracket pits Villanova versus UC Riverside. The winners of the Saint Louis/Boston College and Villanova/UC Riverside games play Friday, Nov. 25, at 1:30 p.m. (CT) on the ESPN family of networks. The championship game of the 76 Classic is set for 8 p.m. (CT) Sunday, Nov. 27. A full schedule of games is available below.
The 76 Classic field features Boston College (Atlantic Coast), New Mexico (Mountain West), Oklahoma (Big 12), Saint Louis (Atlantic 10), Santa Clara (West Coast) UC Riverside (Big West), Villanova (Big East) and Washington State (Pac-12). Each school will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. Eleven of the 12 games will be televised with ESPNU and ESPN2 splitting the majority of the games.
Boston College, under the direction of second-year head coach Steve Donahue, went 21-13 a season ago and advanced to the second round of the NIT. The Billikens and Eagles have met twice on the hardwood, a recent home-and-home series in which each team won on its home floor. BC won the first meeting 61-39 on Dec. 4, 2007 in Chestnut Hill, while the Billikens triumphed 53-50 Nov. 22, 2008, at Chaifetz Arena.
Tickets to the 2011 76 Classic will go on sale Monday, Aug. 22, and can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Packages include all 12 games for $90 plus applicable taxes and fees, booster tickets $50 plus applicable taxes and fees, or single-session tickets for $20 plus applicable taxes and fees. Special travel package information can be found at www.AnthonyTravel.com.
Additional information can be found on the 76 Classic website, www.76classic.com. For more information on Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com.
Here are brief notes on the other teams in the 76 Classic:
• Villanova – The Wildcats posted a 21-12 record last season and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
• UC Riverside – The Highlanders finished 12-19 and 6-10 in the Big West.
• New Mexico – The Lobos were 22-13 last season and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
• Santa Clara – The Broncos finished 24-14 last season and were the champions of the CollegeInsider.com tournament.
• Oklahoma – The Sooners, who went 14-18 last season, are under the direction of first-year head coach Lon Krueger.
• Washington State – The Cougars advanced to the semifinals of the NIT and finished 22-13 last year.
2011 76 Classic Schedule (Home team listed second)
Thursday, Nov. 24
Game 1 – Boston College vs. Saint Louis – 1 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 2 – Villanova vs. UC Riverside – 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 3 – New Mexico vs. Santa Clara – 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 4 – Oklahoma vs. Washington State – 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday, Nov. 25
Game 5 – Winners of games one and two – 1:30 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Game 6 – Losers of games one and two – 4 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Game 7 – Losers of games three and four – 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 8 – Winners of games three and four – 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday, Nov. 27
Game 9 – Losers of games 6 and 7 – 12:30 p.m.
Game 10 – Winners of games 6 and 7 – 3 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 11 – Losers of games 5 and 8 – 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 12 – Winners of games 5 and 8 (Championship Game) – 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
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