The second annual Charleston Classic will be held Nov. 19-22 in Charleston, S.C. Four of the teams in the field played in the 2008-09 NIT, including NIT champion Penn State, Davidson, Miami and South Carolina. The Charleston Classic was the first event held at the brand-new Carolina First Arena at the College of Charleston. Last year, attendance for the six sessions was 12,620, an average of 2,103 per session.
DAVIDSON Nickname: Wildcats Conference: SoCon
Location: Davidson, N.C.
2008-09 record (post-season result): 27-8 (NIT second round)
Davidson has won at least 20 games in each of the last five seasons. The Wildcats captured the SoCon South Division title last year, posting an 18-2 conference record, though they had their 43-game league winning streak snapped in a loss to the College of Charleston. Guard Stephen Currydeparted for the NBA after leading the NCAA in scoring as a junior (28.6 ppg), and becoming Davidson’s all-time leading scorer in just three years (2,635). Bob McKillop has been head coach for the Wildcats for 20 years and is the all-time wins leader (367) for both the school and the SoCon.
LA SALLE Nickname: Explorers Conference: Atlantic 10 Location: Philadelphia 2008-09 record: 18-13
La Salle managed 18 wins against a tough schedule that featured nine eventual NCAA Tournament teams, including Final Four participants Connecticut and Villanova. Dr. John Giannini has won 18 games a season twice in his five years as the Explorers’ head coach. A late four-game winning streak had La Salle on the cusp of its first post-season berth since 1991-92, until an overtime loss to St. Louis ended the season at the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament.
In five years under coach Frank Haith, Miami has reached the post-season four times, beating Providence before losing at Florida in the 2009 NIT. Playing in the competitive ACC, the Hurricanes went 6-8 against eventual NCAA Tournament teams last year. Miami recently said goodbye to senior guard Jack McClinton, the most accurate three-point shooter in ACC history (44 percent) and the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (286).
UNC Wilmington has made the NCAA Tournament four times this decade, most recently in 2005-06. The Seahawks have won 13 of their last 17 CAA Tournament games, but fell in the opening round to Hofstra last season, with a roster featuring only one senior. UNCW also played at Carolina First Arena last December, losing to the College of Charleston. Benny Moss is in his fourth season as coach of the Seahawks.
PENN STATE Nickname: Nittany Lions Conference: Big Ten Location: State College, Pa. 2008-09 Record (post-season result): 27-11 (NIT Champions)
Penn State won the first post-season national tournament in school history, defeating Baylor for the NIT Championship at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Nittany Lions won a school record 27 games, including six against eventual NCAA Tournament teams. Ed DeChellis, who enters his seventh season, was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. The team’s NIT run included handing Florida its second home-court loss in 20 games, and beating Notre Dame in the semifinal round. The Lions return first team All-Big Ten point guard Talor Battle, who led the conference in scoring.
SOUTH CAROLINA Nickname: Gamecocks Conference: SEC Location: Columbia, S.C. 2008-09 record (post-season result): 21-10 (NIT 1st round)
The Gamecocks snapped a two-year post-season drought by earning an NIT bid in coachDarrin Horn’s first season. Horn spent the previous five years at Western Kentucky, advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2007-08. South Carolina tied for the top spot in the SEC East division with a 10-6 record, the school’s highest number of conference wins since 1997-98. The Gamecocks played last season at Carolina First Arena, losing an 82-80 overtime contest to the College of Charleston.
USF Nickname: Bulls Conference: BIG EAST Location: Tampa, Fla. 2008-09 Record: 9-22
USF is in its fifth year as a member of the BIG EAST conference, and its third season with Stan Heath as head coach. Last season was highlighted by a Feb. 6 win over No. 8 Marquette, the program’s first-ever victory over a top 10 team. Leading the way for the Bulls is junior guard Dominique Jones, a two-time honorable mention BIG EAST selection, who led USF with 18.1 points per game. As a sophomore, he also became the second-fastest Bull to score more than 1,000 points.
TULANE Nickname: Green Wave Conference: Conference USA Location: New Orleans 2008-09 Record: 14-17
For the fourth consecutive year, the Green Wave won its first game at the Conference USA Tournament, but was eliminated by home-standing Memphis in round two. Tulane finished the season winning four of its final six contests. Former Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson begins his fifth year as head coach for the Green Wave. A charter member of the SEC in 1932, Tulane has been with Conference USA since the league’s inception in 1995.
For the second year in a row, Charley Green will serve as media coordinator for the Charleston Classic. He also oversees media operations for the Old Spice Classic, SEC/BIG EAST Invitational and ESPNU Road to the Championship (women's basketball).
Photos Courtesy AP | Ed Dechellis (Chris Gardner-US Presswire)
