The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the field of teams for the first-ever Jerry Colangelo Classic presented by Citi, a newly developed college basketball showcase held in conjunction with Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. The one-day doubleheader will feature the University of Nevada versus Grand Canyon University and the University of Tennessee versus Gonzaga University. Game times and television broadcast information will be released at a later date.
“Jerry Colangelo, the remarkable Chairman of the Board for the Basketball Hall of Fame, has a storied history with the city of Phoenix. We are very proud to host the inaugural Jerry Colangelo Classic at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix in his honor,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The four teams participating in this year’s event, and their fans, are certainly in for a treat of great basketball and Arizona winter weather.”
“We feel this is a great opportunity to play in another NBA arena, which is an environment similar to what you would experience in an NCAA tournament setting,” Nevada head coach Eric Musselman said. “Coach Dan Majerle has done a great job at Grand Canyon, as they are one of the power programs in the WAC. His teams always play with tremendous passion and do a great job of executing on both ends. We know that playing in Phoenix will not be a neutral site due to Grand Canyon having such phenomenal fan support. It will be an extremely challenging game.”
Nevada is also playing in the third annual Basketball Hall of Fame Classic presented by Citi on Friday Dec. 7, 2018 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles versus Arizona State. The Wolf Pack will be part of a triple header that also features Saint Mary’s College versus New Mexico and TCU taking on USC. Game times and television broadcast information will be released at a later date.
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