La Salle, UMass, VCU to Play in ESPN Marathon


NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Three Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball teams will compete in ESPN's annual Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 12. La Salle and Massachusetts will host in back-to-back games, beginning at 9:00 am ET, while VCU will head to Charlottesville for a 7:00 pm ET contest against the Cavaliers.

The Tip-Off Marathon features 24 straight hours of men’s basketball on ESPN2. La Salle will host Quinnipiac in Tom Gola Arena at 9:00 am, marking the sixth game of the Marathon, which begins Nov. 11 at 11:00 pm. UMass will follow the Explorers at 11:00 am, hosting LSU at the Mullins Center and the Rams will face Virginia in the 7:00 pm game.

La Salle is coming off a historic season in which the Explorers made the NCAA field for the first time since 1992 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since a Final Four appearance in 1955. La Salle advanced to the Sweet 16 from the First Four -- current A-10 member VCU is the only other team to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16.

The Explorers’ win over Ole Miss advanced the Explorers to the Sweet 16 and marked the sixth consecutive year the A-10 has had a team advance to the Sweet 16.

UMass, led by First Team All-Conference guard Chaz Williams, made its second straight trip to the NIT last year. Massachusetts advanced to the NIT Semifinals in 2012. It was the first back-to-back postseason appearances by the Minutemen since 1997 and 1998.

Shaka Smart leads the Rams into Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena for the first time. The highly anticipated match-up will be the first meeting between UVA and VCU since 1998 and kicks off a two-year home-and-home series between the schools.



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Ranking the Games in ESPN’s Tip-off Marathon from Most to Least Intriguing (Jeff Eisenberg, The Dagger – August 12, 2013)

[INDENT]3. VCU at Virginia, 7 p.m. EST

In Jan. 2012, Shaka Smart made waves when he insisted VCU and fellow CAA powers George Mason and Old Dominion had been better programs of late than their more well-known in-state ACC brethren, and "it's not even close." Now the Rams will have the chance to prove it head-to-head when they face Virginia for the first time since 1998. Bragging rights won't be easy to obtain, however, for either side. VCU returns the core of last year's NCAA tournament team, while Joe Harris-led Virginia appears capable of a top five finish in the ACC. The contrast in tempos also promises to be intriguing.

7. LSU at UMass, 11 a.m. EST

This has the feel of a game that will matter more in March than it might seem in November. It would be a disappointment if LSU can't play its way into NCAA tournament contention this March considering forward Johnny O'Bryant delayed his NBA dreams to return to school for another year and point guard Anthony Hickey is back as well. Aspirations are similarly lofty this season at UMass, which will boast one of the nation's most exciting backcourt tandems in Chaz Williams and Western Kentucky transfer Derrick Gordon.

14. Quinnipiac at La Salle, 9 a.m. EST

Everyone besides senior leader Ramon Galloway is back for La Salle from a team that went from the First Four to the Sweet 16 last month. Still, it's hard to get too excited about a game that begins at breakfast time and includes Quinnipiac.[/INDENT]




Ranking the 24-Hour College Hoops Marathon (CBS Sports – August 13, 2013)

[INDENT]4. VCU at Virginia (7 p.m., Nov. 12, ESPN2)

Nice contrast of styles in this one, as Havoc will go against the defensive-minded, slow-it-down mantra of Tony Bennett and Virginia. With that said, this should be a good intrastate battle where we get to see if both teams are set at the point guard spot.

6. LSU at Massachusetts (11 a.m., Nov. 12, ESPN2)

Another game between two teams looking to break into the periphery of the NCAA tournament discussion. Massachusetts loves to get up and down, while LSU brings back four starters and welcomes Jarrell Martin into the fold.

15. Quinnipiac at La Salle (9 a.m., Nov. 12, ESPN2)

The Explorers are coming off a surprising NCAA tournament run to the Sweet 16, and TV darling Tyrone Garland is back on the perimeter. Ramon Galloway will be a tough loss, but Dr. John Giannini's troops will be fine. Quinnipiac finished on a hot streak last year.[/INDENT]

3. VCU 59:56 Virginia
7. LSU 90:92 UMass
14. Quinnipiac 57:73 La Salle