UC could play Duke in 2016 Naismith event
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 12:02 p.m. EDT May 4, 2016
Gary Clark will be among UC returnees who could face Duke in the 2016 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament.
(Photo: Enquirer file/Sam Greene)
The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team could play perennial power Duke in the 2016 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, Nov. 19-20 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The annual NCAA men’s exempt tournament sponsored by the Metro Athletic Conference features eight schools playing in two, four-team brackets, with two campus round games leading to two matchups at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Cincinnati will play host to Brown (Nov. 11) and Albany (Nov. 14) at Fifth Third Arena before facing Rhode Island (Nov. 19) in Connecticut. The Bearcats conclude play in the tournament against either Duke or Penn State in the championship or consolation game Nov. 20.
Broadcast information and game times will be announced later. General public tickets will go on sale Friday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. via all Ticketmaster outlets and the Mohegan Sun Arena box office.
“We are thrilled to be invited to participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off event and represent the University of Cincinnati,” Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “The field of teams is extremely competitive and the Hall of Fame always does great things for college basketball. It should be a fun event.”
Cincinnati is 1-0 against Brown - a 95-71 home win on Jan. 26, 1974 – but will face Albany for the first time. The Bearcats are 2-0 against Rhode Island, including a 70-53 win in the last meeting Nov. 19, 1998 in Kingston, Rhode Island.
The Bearcats won their last meeting with Duke, 77-75 in the championship game of the 1998 Alaska Shootout. The Blue Devils own a 2-1 edge in the all-time series.
UC lost its only meeting with Penn State, 74-66 in the Quaker City Tournament on Dec. 27, 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The 2016-17 Bearcats will return three starters among seven lettermen from last year’s team that went 22-11 and made its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
2016 NAISMITH MEMORIAL HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
November 11 (Campus Sites)
Grand Canyon at Duke
Marist at Penn State
Brown at Cincinnati
November 12 (Campus Sites)
Albany at Duke
November 14 (Campus Sites)
Albany at Cincinnati
Marist at Rhode Island
November 15 (Campus Sites)
Grand Canyon at Penn State
November 16 (Campus Sites)
Brown at Rhode Island
Saturday, November 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.)
Naismith Bracket
Duke vs. Penn State
Cincinnati vs. Rhode Island
Springfield Bracket
Marist vs. Brown
Grand Canyon vs. Albany
Sunday, November 20 at Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.)
Naismith Bracket
Consolation Game
Championship Game
Springfield Bracket
Marist vs. Grand Canyon
Brown vs. Albany
Times and television information to be announced.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../83918920/
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UC could play Duke in 2016 Naismith event
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