ARIZONA STATE BASKETBALL
ASU, GCU and NAU among teams in 2020 Jerry Colangelo Classic
Jun 10, 2020, 10:41 AM | Updated: 11:12 am
General view of action between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 28, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The field of teams was announced Wednesday for the Jerry Colangelo Classic, a college basketball series held in Phoenix.
Three college teams from the state of Arizona will participate: Arizona State will face BYU; Northern Arizona will face San Diego; and Grand Canyon University will play San Francisco. Additionally, Gonzaga will play Texas Tech, televised on CBS.
The one-day event is scheduled for Dec. 19 of this year at Talking Stick Resort Arena, which will be the newly renovated home of the Phoenix Suns.
“We always want to schedule great neutral site games in NBA arenas against great competition and that is what this game allows,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said in a press release. “The game matches two teams that would have been in the NCAA Tournament last year and have the goal of returning this year. Playing in downtown Phoenix, where ASU has made such a great impact, is a natural for us. We look forward to being a part of a great day of college hoops in our state.”
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The Jerry Colangelo Classic is part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s series of college events.
“It’s quite an honor to be selected to play in this event associated with the Basketball Hall of Fame and Mr. Jerry Colangelo,” NAU head coach Shane Burcar said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity for our players to play in front of a Phoenix crowd with so many NAU alumni. We’re excited to bring our brand of Lumberjack basketball from Flagstaff down to the Phoenix area.”
The 2019 iteration of the classic featured six teams: Tulane, St. Louis University, St. Mary’s College, Dayton, Grand Canyon and Liberty.
Grand Canyon returns, now with a new head coach in Bryce Drew.
“The Jerry Colangelo Classic is turning into one of the best events in college basketball,” Drew said in a statement. “We are very excited to be a part of such a tremendous day of basketball in the city of Phoenix.
