Men meet Mercer tonight
11/21/2011 6:56:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The event runs Monday through Wednesday (Nov. 21-23) at the Mercer University Center. Games will be at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily (Eastern time).
Monday's (Nov. 21) slate features Niagara University versus South Dakota State University in the early game, followed by Sam Houston State versus Mercer. On Tuesday (Nov. 22), it will be Sam Houston State taking on South Dakota State and Mercer hosting Niagara. Wednesday's schedule is Niagara ans Sam Houston State in the first game, followed by the South Dakota State-Mercer match-up in the tourney's finale.
Sam Houston enters the Progressive CBE Classic with a 1-1 record, defeating Howard Payne in the Bearkats' season opener and falling to Notre Dame on the road last week.
With SHSU's lone returning starter Antuan Bootle sidelined with an injury, the Kats will rely on returning lettermen Marcus James and Aaron Thompson for leadership. Transfer forward Steven Werner and freshman post player Michael Holyfield have been impressive in the opening two games.
Mercer is coming off of a huge victory over Southern Conference foe Furman University, 66-46. MU had four players tally in double figures, led by 16 from sophomore forward Bud Thomas. Thomas hit 6-of-9 from the floor and was 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down five rebounds, had three assists and two steals.
Senior Justin Cecil and sophomore Daniel Coursey each contributed 11 points. Coursey narrowly missed his first career double-double by grabbing nine rebounds (to go along with three blocks).
The Niagara Purple Eagles from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference come in with a 1-1 record, topping to Central Connecticut (102-93) and losing to Missouri (83-52). The Purple Eagles return sophomore Marvin Jordan, who was named to the MAAC all-Rookie team for averaging 11.8 points per game a year ago.
South Dakota State comes in with a deceptive 1-2 record after defeating Western Michigan, but losing to Minnesota and Georgia. Coming off a 19-win season, the Jackrabbits return four starters in 2011-12. The backcourt of junior Nate Wolters (19.5 ppg, 188 assists), the school's first-ever first-team all-Summit selection, and senior Griffan Callahan (8.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) will be key as the Jackrabbits look for their first NCAA Tournament berth at the Division I level.
The CBE Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group in 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 TicketCity Legends Classic, the CBI presented by Zebra Pen, and the All-American Championship. The Gazelle Group is a member of USA Basketball.
-The CBE Classic event is named after the College Basketball Experience, the award-winning and highly interactive college hoops 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.
Following the CBE Classic, Sam Houston State will complete a four-game road swing with a contest against the Texas Longhorns Saturday in Austin.
