ScheduleFriday, November 16 Saturday, November 17
Mass-Boston vs. Franciscan, 2 p.m. Gallaudet vs. Stevenson, 4 p.m. St. Mary’s (Md.) vs. Catholic, 6 p.m. Transylvania vs. Randolph-Macon, 8 p.m. Sunday, November 18 Home team listed second |
Stevenson University will host the inaugural Hoopsville National Invitational Classic beginning Friday, Nov. 16 at Owings Mills Gymnasium. The annual event will be the biggest on-campus tip-off tournament in Division III and the second-largest event of its kind behind only the D3hoops.com Classic held in Las Vegas.
This year’s Classic will feature eight men’s basketball teams from five states and the District of Columbia, four of which were ranked or receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 at some point during the 2011-12 season and three of which participated in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. It will also feature six prominent head coaches who have led their teams to the NCAA Tournament.
The teams competing in the first-ever Hoopsville National Invitational Classic are Catholic, Franciscan, Gallaudet, Mass-Boston, Randolph-Macon, St. Mary’s (Md.), Stevenson and Transylvania.
“You don’t often get to see Top 25-caliber teams in the same arena over the span of a few days unless you are watching NCAA tournament games in March,” said Dave McHugh, host of Hoopsville and D3sports.com Broadcast Director. “This is a rare chance for fans, players, teams, and others to see these types of programs at the beginning of the season.”
“This Classic will help shine a light on Division III basketball at a time when many eyes are focused on the start of the NCAA Division III Football Championship,” added McHugh. “I hope the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic will garner the same respect, headlines and interest in participation as the D3hoops.com Classic has in its three years.”
"With the end of the Pride of Maryland Championship after five years, I sat down with Director of Athletics and co-founder of the Pride of Maryland, Brett Adams, to come up with a replacement that would continue to be one of the premier tip-off tournaments in Division III,” said Stevenson head coach Gary Stewart. “We then approached Dave McHugh about branding the tournament with one of the most recognizable names in Division III basketball.”
The 2012 Hoopsville National Invitational Classic takes place the weekend after Veteran’s Day and will honor our nation’s veterans, especially those injured while serving our country. It will also benefit Damone Brooks who played in all 23 games as a freshman for Goucher last season while averaging 7.7 points as a freshman, but was paralyzed in a freak accident back in April.