Hall of Fame to host Holiday Showcase |
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SPRINGFIELD — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Aug. 15 that it has partnered with the University of Massachusetts (UMass), American International College (AIC) and Springfield College (SC) to host the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase at the MassMutual Center on Dec. 9.
The tripleheader will include featured match-ups from all three NCAA Divisions, highlighted by the UMass-Siena contest in the final game.
“We are excited to work in conjunction with three of our neighbor institutions to develop a great celebration of college basketball for Western Massachusetts,” John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Hall of Fame hopes that the Holiday Showcase becomes an annual mainstay in our basketball community.”
The Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase will tip-off with Division III schools SC and Trinity College at 4 p.m., followed by a Division II showdown between AIC and Philadelphia University at 6 p.m. Philadelphia is coached by Herb Magee, the all-time NCAA wins leader at any level and who is also being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this August. UMass will then battle Siena in the nightcap at 8 p.m.
“We are very happy to be playing in the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase,” Derek Kellogg, head coach, UMass, said. “We are always proud to be affiliated with the Hall of Fame and to play in what we consider our second home, the MassMutual Center. We look forward to reaching out and playing in front of our great fans in my hometown of Springfield.”
The Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase also introduces Siena College from the MAAC to Springfield. The MassMutual Center and the Basketball Hall of Fame will co-host the MAAC Basketball Championships for three years, beginning in March 2012.
“We’re very excited about the prospect of playing UMass at a great facility like the MassMutual Center,” Mitch Buonaguro, head coach, Siena College, said. “All 10 MAAC schools are really looking forward to the conference tournament in March moving to Springfield, and this will be a great chance for our student athletes to experience the venue. I anxiously await the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase.”
Tickets will be priced at $20 and $10. Tickets will be good for all three games and will go on-sale shortly via the MassMutual Center Box Office and Ticketmaster outlets.
“It’s great to be involved in the Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase, the event has such strong local flavor and AIC is happy to be part of it,” Art Luptowski, head coach, AIC, said. “Playing at the MassMutual Center is a huge thrill for our players and it’s such an obvious fit for AIC to be the local Division II entry. The true college hoop fan can see solid programs from all three levels of college basketball in the same evening in the same building, which I don’t think you can do anywhere else in the country.”
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