Tournament Information Courtesy of ESPN
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist men's basketball team will meet new Big 12 member West Virginia in the opening game of the Old Spice Classic, which will take place on Thursday, Nov. 22 - Thanksgiving Day - at noon. This game will be televised on ESPN2, and is the first of 12 that will be played over a four-day span at the ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
West Virginia is coming off of a 19-14 season and a bid in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. A perennial power in the Big East, West Virginia will be joining the Big 12 Conference for its first official season this year.
This will be the first meeting between Marist and West Virginia. The Red Foxes are 1-0 all-time versus current Big 12 members, as they defeated Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2007 Postseason NIT.
Depending on Marist's result against West Virginia, the Red Foxes will play either Vanderbilt or Davidson on Friday, Nov. 23. The winners' bracket contest will be played on ESPN at 12:30 p.m., while a consolation game will take place at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.
The entire tournament will be televised on the ESPN Family of Networks, with one game on ESPN, seven on ESPN2, three on ESPNU, and one on ESPN3. The Red Foxes' results over the first two days will determine their game time and opponent - either UTEP, Oklahoma, Clemson, or Gonzaga - for their final game on Sunday, Nov. 25.
Marist is competing in the Old Spice Classic for the second time. The Red Foxes defeated Minnesota and Western Michigan as they placed third in the inaugural tournament in 2006. Marist guard Jared Jordan, who averaged 20.7 points, 9.0 assists, and 6.3 rebounds, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The entire eight-team bracket and matchups are as follows:
Thursday, Nov. 22
Noon: West Virginia vs. Marist, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
2 p.m.: Vanderbilt vs. Davidson, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
7 p.m.: UTEP vs. Oklahoma, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
9 p.m.: Clemson vs. Gonzaga, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
Friday, Nov. 23
12:30 p.m.: Semifinal #1, ESPN / ESPN3D
3 p.m.: Consolation #1, ESPNU / ESPN3D
5:30 p.m.: Consolation #2, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
7:30 p.m.: Semifinal #2, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
Sunday, Nov. 25
11:30 a.m.: 5th-place Game, ESPNU / ESPN3D
2 p.m.: 7th-place Game, ESPN3 / ESPN3D
4:30 p.m.: 3rd-place Game, ESPNU / ESPN3D
7 p.m.: Championship Game, ESPN2 / ESPN3D
About the Old Spice Classic
The 2012 Old Spice Classic, a bracket-format tournament, will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 25.
The family-friendly tournament is a weekend-long affair at the Walt Disney World Resort where participating teams practice, play and enjoy the Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks. Fans can purchase official hotel accommodations and game tickets by going to http://www.anthonytravel.com/espn/old-spice-classic or by calling (860) 632-6951.
Sponsors include Old Spice, ESPNU and ESPN's Wide World of Sports. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) will serve as the event's sponsoring conference for the seventh straight year.
Dayton won the 2011 Old Spice Classic title, while Notre Dame captured the 2010 title. Florida State won the 2009 Classic, and additional winners include Gonzaga in 2008, North Carolina State in 2007 and Arkansas in 2006.
The Old Spice Classic is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN.
Marist's entire non-conference schedule will be released at a later date.
Red Fox Club memberships are now on sale for the 2012-13 season. For more information, click on the banner on the home page of GoRedFoxes.com.
