PRINCETON, N.J. - National men's college basketball powers Notre Dame and Ohio State highlight the field of the second annual Gotham Classic.
Joining the Fighting Irish and Buckeyes in the 2013 Gotham Classic are Bryant, Delaware, and North Dakota State.
Notre Dame and Ohio State will tip-off against each other for only the 13th time in history when they meet on Saturday, December 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ohio State holds a 7-5 series advantage with the two having last met in December of 2008. Notre Dame and Ohio State have combined for 58 NCAA Tournament appearances. ESPN2 will televise the Showcase Game.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for the Gotham Classic doubleheader featuring Notre Dame vs. Ohio State at Madison Square Garden on December 21 are on sale now and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849 or through Ticketmaster.com.
The format of the Gotham Classic features 10 games with all five teams playing each other. The schedule for the Gotham Classic is: Dec. 7 - Delaware at Notre DameDec. 7 - North Dakota State at BryantDec. 9 - Bryant at Notre DameDec. 11 - Bryant at Ohio StateDec. 11 - North Dakota State at Notre DameDec. 14 - North Dakota State at Ohio StateDec. 16 - Delaware at North Dakota StateDec. 18 - Delaware at Ohio StateDec. 21 - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (at MSG / ESPN2)Dec. 21 - Bryant vs. Delaware (at MSG) Ohio State Buckeyes - Head Coach Thad Matta (Big Ten Conference)The Buckeyes have played in 25 NCAA Tournaments, including advancing to the 2013 Elite Eight...have won at least 20 games in each of nine seasons under head coach Thad Matta, including going 29-8 this past season...four starters return, led by senior guard Aaron Craft, a Big Ten all-league selection who is the team's leading returning scorer (10.0 ppg) and playmaker (172 assists)...Craft is joined in the backcourt by classmate Lenzelle Smith Jr., who averaged 9.2 ppg and is the team's leading returning rebounder at 4.8 rpg. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Head Coach: Mike Brey (Atlantic Coast Conference) Notre Dame made its 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance this past season in compiling a 25-10 record...head coach Mike Brey has guided the Fighting Irish to seven consecutive 20-win seasons...three starters return, headlined by the senior backcourt of Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins...Grant tallied a team-high 13.3 ppg and handed out a team-high 194 assists in earning second-team All-Big East honors...Atkins scored at an 11.2 ppg clip and distributed 193 assists...the Irish will be playing their inaugural season in the ACC this year.
Bryant Bulldogs - Head Coach Tim O'Shea (Northeast Conference)Bryant went 19-12 and placed second in the Northeast Conference after finishing 2-28 the previous season...qualified for postseason play in its first year of full Division I eligibility, playing in the 2013 CBI presented by Buick...broke NEC records for overall win improvement (17) and in league action (11)...forward Alex Francis (17.4 ppg, team-high 8.6 rpg) was named to the NEC first-team and guard Dyami Starks (team-high 17.7 ppg) was placed on the second-team...Tim O'Shea was named the NEC Coach of the Year.
Delaware Blue Hens - Head Coach Monte' Ross (Colonial Athletic Association)Delaware posted a 19-14 record in advancing to the CAA semifinals...under head coach Monte' Ross, the Blue Hens earned their highest CAA tournament seed (second) since joining the league in 2001-02 and first trip to the semis since 2003...three of the top four scorers from a year ago return, headlined by first-team All-CAA guard Devon Saddler, who paced the team in scoring (19.9 ppg) while handing out 91 assists...backcourt mate Jarvis Threatt, a third-team pick, recorded a 13.0 ppg average and a team-high 97 assists.
North Dakota State Bison - Head Coach Saul Phillips (Summit League)The Bison went 24-10 playing a schedule that featured No. 1 Indiana and No. 13 Minnesota...reached the championship game of the Summit League tournament...placed ninth in the nation in scoring defense (56.1 ppg)...head coach Saul Phillips welcomes the return of all five starters from last year, led by forward Marshall Bjorklund, a first-team All-Summit selection who averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds a game...guard Taylor Braun, who paced the squad with a 15.4 ppg average, garnered second-team honors.
The Northeast Conference (NEC) is the sponsoring conference of the Gotham Classic. Entering its 33rd season, the NEC is a NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. For more information on the NEC, visit the official website at www.northeastconference.org or follow on Twitter @NECsports.
The Gotham Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Sports Classic, the Legends Classic, the College Basketball Invitational, and the All-American Championship. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.
