BYU to play in 2013 CBE Hall of Fame Classic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU will join Wichita State, Texas and DePaul at Sprint Center for the championship rounds of the 2013 CBE Hall of Fame Classic, Nov. 25 and 26, 2013. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the field today.

The semifinal matchups will be held on Monday, Nov. 25. The finals will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 26, beginning with the consolation game, followed by the championship game. All four games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

Tickets for the championship round games at Sprint Center will be available tomorrow, Friday, April 5, beginning at 1 p.m. CDT and may be purchased through www.axs.com, www.cbehalloffameclassic.com, by phone at 1-888-929-7849 or in person at Sprint Center Box Office. The complete bracket, including matchups and television broadcast times for the 2013 CBE Hall of Fame Classic, will be announced at a later date.

For more information on the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, please visit www.cbehalloffameclassic.com and follow us on Twitter at @CBHoFwkNd, @CBHOF or @TheCBE.

CBE Hall of Fame Classic Championship Rounds

Semifinal Doubleheader – Championship Doubleheader

Sprint Center – Kansas City, Mo.

November 25 and 26, 2013

BYU – The Cougars advanced to the semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament before falling to Baylor at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday ... BYU finished the year with a 24-12 record (10-6 West Coast Conference, third place) ... the Cougars were led this past season by sophomore guard Tyler Haws (21.7 ppg) and senior forward Brandon Davies (17.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) ... BYU looks poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14 with a large majority of its roster returning ... BYU coach Dave Rose on playing in the CBE: “We’re very excited to play in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. They have an excellent field put together for what is always one of the best tournaments in college basketball. It will be a great experience for our team to play against quality competition early in the season in a fantastic venue.”

DePaul – The Blue Demons had a tough 2012-13 season, as they finished the year with an overall record of 11-21 and 2-16 in the Big East Conference ... led by junior guard Brandon Young (16.7 ppg, 4.6 ast) and junior forward Cleveland Melvin (16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) ... the Blue Demons will look to turn things around in 2013-14, as they return most everyone from their roster ... Head coach Oliver Purnell, who just completed his third season at the helm of DePaul, said: “Playing in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic will be a great experience for our players, fans and supporters. The competition and atmosphere for our two games at Allstate Arena and then two games in Kansas City will prepare us for BIG EAST Conference play later in the season.”

Texas – The Longhorns finished the 2012-13 season with a record of 16-18 (7-11, seventh place in the Big 12), following their loss to Houston in the CBI postseason tournament, snapping a streak of 16 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances ... led by sophomore guard Sheldon McClellan (13.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Julien Lewis (10.8 ppg) ...Texas will look to return to the NCAA Tournament during the 2013-14 season ... Rick Barnes, the long-time Coach at Texas, said: “We are honored to once again be included in the College Basketball Experience Hall of Fame Classic. Having the tournament associated with the annual National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony has made the CBE Classic one of the top preseason tourneys in the country. Our program is obviously a fan of the venue at Sprint Center, as we have been there many times for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, and we know that Kansas City has great basketball fans who will support this tournament.”

Wichita State – Has shocked the nation by advancing to the 2013 NCAA Final Four ... sports an overall record of 30-8, including a second place (12-6) finish in the Missouri Valley Conference ... led by junior forward Cleanthony Early (13.6 ppg 5.1 rpg) and senior forward Carl Hall (12.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) ... Gregg Marshall, is in his sixth season as the head coach at Wichita State.

The 2012 CBE Hall of Fame Classic Champion was the University of Kansas, as the Jayhawks defeated the Saint Louis Billikens in the championship game.  Kansas senior guard and Kansas City native Travis Releford captured the 2012 CBE Hall of Fame Classic Most Valuable Player Award, after scoring 17 points vs. Washington State in the semifinals and 23 points vs. Saint Louis in the championship game.

The event is named after the College Basketball Experience, the award-winning and highly interactive college basketball fan facility adjacent to Sprint Center, which also features the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Opened in October 2007, the College Basketball Experience is the nation's only facility that celebrates, in its entirety, the sport of men's collegiate basketball. The tournament, in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), was initially established in 2001 as the Guardians Classic.

The CBE Hall of Fame Classic is produced by Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment, Inc.  Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment, Inc. is a sports management firm based in the Shenandoah Valley city of Winchester, Virginia. Our staff offers over 35 years of combined experience in the management of sporting events throughout the U.S. with an event resume that spans NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NBA Preseason, MLB Exhibitions, NHL Preseason, Golf Tournaments, All American High School Basketball, Tennis Exhibitions, All-American High School Baseball.  For more information on Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment, Inc. please visit www.blueridgesports.com and follow us on Twitter at @BRSEinc.