ESPN Events Unveils Matchups for Early-Season Basketball Tournaments

ESPN Events has unveiled the matchups for several of its owned and operated early-season basketball tournaments. Beginning November 16 through Christmas weekend, the tournaments will feature a number of top teams, including South Carolina, who advanced to the Final Four in last year’s NCAA men’s basketball championship. The six multi-day, bracket-format, destination events include the Gildan Charleston Classic (Nov. 16, 17 & 19), Puerto Rico Tip-off (Nov. 16, 17 & 19), AdvoCare Invitational (Nov. 23, 24 & 26), NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 23-24) and Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-25). Each tournament will feature 12 games played over three days, with the NIT Season Tip-Off championship rounds taking place over two days with four games during Thanksgiving weekend.

These events, along with the PK80 Invitational and the Wooden Legacy (matchups to be announced at a later date), showcase more than 70 teams throughout November and December.

All schedules are subject to change.

Gildan Charleston Classic – Nov. 16, 17 & 19
The Gildan Charleston Classic, hosted by the Colonial Athletic Association, will be held at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C. Teams participating in the tournament include Auburn, Clemson, Dayton, Hofstra, Indiana State, Old Dominion, Ohio and Temple. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Gildan Charleston Classic website.

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Puerto Rico Tip-Off – Nov. 16, 17 & 19

The Puerto Rico Tip-Off, played at Coliseo Municipal Tomas Dones in Fajardo, will showcase two teams who participated in the NCAA men’s basketball championship—Iowa State, and South Carolina, who advanced to the Final Four. The field also includes postseason NIT participants Boise State and Illinois State, as well as Appalachian State, Tulsa, UTEP and Western Michigan. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Puerto Rico Tip-Off website.

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AdvoCare Invitational – Nov. 23, 24 & 26

The AdvoCare Invitational, played at the HP Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, will bring Sweet 16 team West Virginia and seven other distinguished program to Orlando, Fla. WVU will be joined by Long Beach State, Marist, Missouri, who will play with 2017 No. 1 recruit Michael Porter Jr., Nebraska, Oregon State, St. John’s and UCF for the three-day tournament. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the AdvoCare Invitational website.

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NIT Season Tip-Off – Nov. 23 & 24

Hosted by ESPN Events, this year’s NIT Season Tip-Off features Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt and Virginia, facing off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. All four teams played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Other non-bracketed games will be played at campus sites in November. Additional information can be found on the NIT Tip-Off website.

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Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic – Dec. 22-25
This year’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will include Akron, Davidson, Hawai’i, Miami, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Princeton and USC. Held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, the tournament features five NCAA tournament participants in Miami, Middle Tennessee New Mexico State, Princeton and USC. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic website.

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