NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four mid-major men’s basketball teams will meet for six games of action during Thanksgiving weekend in the third annual Challenge In Music City at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nov. 25-27.
The three-day event will feature 2015-16 NCAA Tournament contenders Middle Tennessee State University and North Carolina Wilmington, as well as the University of Evansville and the University of Toledo. The format for the Challenge In Music City is round-robin with each team getting three games. MTSU, located just 30 miles away from the auditorium, will be the closest team and first in-state team to play in the Challenge.
On Friday, Evansville will meet Toledo and Middle Tennessee will meet UNC Willmington to tip off the tournament. Evansville will then meet UNC Wilmington on Saturday and MTSU on Sunday, with Toledo facing MTSU Saturday and UNC-Wilmington Sunday.
Tickets are $20 general admission per day at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium box office or online at
Ticketmaster.com.
Mercer swept the 2015 Challenge in Music City live on the American Sports Network. The inaugural Challenge in Music City, featuring a bracket format, was in 2014. Valparaiso ran the table to beat Drake, Murray State and Portland to claim the three-day event title. Portland finished 2-1, Murray State was 1-2 and Drake 0-3.
Evansville redshirt-senior David Howard, formerly of Montgomery Bell Academy, is the only Nashville native competing in the tournament. Howard, who leads Evansville in rebounding with 7.0 per game, lettered four years at Montgomery Bell, where he was a Mr. Basketball nominee as a senior. Former MTSU Blue Raider JaQuel Richmond, a redshirt-sophomore guard for UNCW, will also make his return to the Nashville area. The Greensboro, N.C. native, appeared in 27 games and started 13 for MTSU in 2014-15.
Each year, teams also receive an additional home or away game on their schedule as part of the Challenge In Music City agreement. MTSU will host Toledo on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m., Evansville will host Wabash on Nov. 30 and UNC Wilmington will host Pfeiffer on Dec. 3.
Fans can follow the tournament via twitter @MusicCityBball and Facebook: Challenge In Music City.
SCHEDULE OF GAMES AT MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
Friday, Nov. 25
5:00 p.m. – Evansville vs. Toledo
7:30 p.m. – Middle Tennessee vs. UNC Wilmington
Saturday, Nov. 26
5:00 p.m. – UNC Wilmington vs. Evansville
7:30 p.m. – Toledo vs. Middle Tennessee
Sunday, Nov. 27
3:00 p.m. – Toledo vs. UNC Wilmington
5:30 p.m. – Middle Tennessee vs. Evansville
MEET THE TEAMS
University of Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville, Ind. – Enrollment 2,822
2016-16: 0-1
2015-16: 25-9 (12-6 Missouri Valley Conference – 2nd)
Head Coach: Marty Simmons (Evansville ’87)
Record at UE: 151-144 (10th season)
Website:
GoPurpleAces.com | Twitter: @UEAthletics, @UEAthletics_MBB
Evansville is coming off one of its best seasons in its NCAA Division I program history, matching its 1988-89 win total with a 25-9 record and finishing runner-up in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Purple Aces finished the season on the bubble for the NIT. Evansville finished 2015-16 ranked in the Top 10 in the NCAA for assists per game (17.5) and field goal percentage (49.0). The Purple Aces are 4-5 all-time against teams in this year’s Challenge, with a 1-1 record against Middle Tennessee State in 2010. Evansville last played Toledo in 1989, holding a 3-4 mark against the Rockets dating back to 1965. It will be the first-ever meeting between Evansville and UNC-Wilmington.
Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders
Murfreesboro, Tenn. – Enrollment 22,511
2016-17: 1-0
2015-16: 25-10 (13-5 Conference USA – 1st)
Head Coach: Kermit Davis (Mississippi State ’82)
Record at MTSU: 277-175 (15th Season)
Website:
GoBlueRaiders.com | Twitter: @MTAthletics, @MT_MBB
MTSU will be making its first of three trips to Nashville this fall for non-conference games. The Blue Raiders are coming off one of their most successful seasons in school history, claiming the third-most wins in a season (25) and winning its fifth conference title in the last seven seasons. MTSU claimed the Conference USA title and went on to upset No. 2 seed Michigan State, 90-81, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. No. 10 seed and Final Four contender Syracuse ended MTSU’s run in the second round. The Blue Raiders also set records for 3-pointers made in a game (16) and season (279) and posted program Top 5 season performances in total points (2,539) and blocked shots (123). MTSU will meet UNC Wilmington for the first time in program history and is 1-1 all-time against Evansville and 2-1 against Toledo, including a Thanksgiving weekend win last season in the Great Alaska Shootout. MTSU will also host Toledo on Nov. 22 for a game prior to the tournament at Municipal.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, N.C. – Enrollment 13,261
2016-17: 1-0
2015-16: 25-8 (14-4 Colonial Athletic Association – 1st)
Head Coach: Kevin Keatts (Ferrum ’96)
Record at UNCW: 44-22 (3rd season)
Website:
UNCWsports.com | Twitter: @UNCWAthletics, @UNCWmenshoops
UNCW set a school-record of wins in 2015-16 en route to a 25-8 final record and Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament titles. Nineteen program records fell during the season, including the record for most consecutive wins (11). The Seahawks swept through the CAA Tournament to claim its first conference title since 2006 and an NCAA Tournament bid. Duke ended their run, 93-85, in the opening round of the Providence, Rhode Island regional. Head Coach Kevin Keatts was named the CAA Coach of the Year and NABC District 10 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. The Seahawks will be meeting MTSU and Evansville for the first time in program history, but are 2-2 all-time against Toledo.
University of Toledo Rockets
Toledo, Ohio – Enrollment 20,325
2016-17: 0-1
2015-16: 17-5 (8-10 Mid-America Conference – 9th)
Head Coach: Tod Kowalczyk (Minnesota-Duluth, ’89)
Record at Toledo: 102-83 (7th season)
Website:
UTRockets.com | Twitter: @ToledoRockets, @ToledoMBB
Toledo is looking to build off a transition year in 2015-16, which saw six new players in a program that won the Mid-American Conference title two years prior. The Rockets’ season came to a close in early March following consecutive losses to Eastern Michigan, including one in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Toledo finished the season with a school record for 3-pointers made and attempted. Toledo is the only team to have previously played all three Challenge opponents in program history. The Rockets are 4-3 all-time against Evansville, 1-2 against MTSU and 2-2 against UNCW.
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