Missouri State Joins Next Year’s Charleston Classic

Editor: The following is part of a press release from missouristatebears.com.

(Charleston, SC) – The Missouri State men’s basketball team will be part of the eight-team field ESPN’s 2019 Charleston Classic.

The event will take place November 14, 15 and 17, 2019 at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C. The field includes Missouri State, UConn, Florida, Miami, Penn State, Saint Joseph’s, Towson and Xavier.

“What a great opportunity for Missouri State to compete against some of the best basketball programs in the country with a national TV audience,” said Bears’ head coach Dana Ford. “This will be the second straight year our program will be part of an ESPN early-season tournament, and our administration deserves to be applauded for that.”

Ford’s Bears, who are off to a 3-0 start this season, embark on a two-game trip to Sprint Center in Kansas City next week with Nebraska, USC and Texas Tech rounding out the field of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. Missouri State opens the event on Monday, November 19 against Nebraska at 6 p.m.

Four of the eight teams in the 2019 Charleston Classic field made the postseason last year. Xavier (No. 1 seed), Miami, Fla. (No. 6 seed) and Florida State (No. 9 seed) all made the NCAA Tournament. Penn State played in the National Invitational Tournament. Previous Charleston Classic winners include: Temple, Villanova, Virginia and Miami.

This family-friendly tournament offers the teams a week of practice, play and experiences in and around historic Charleston.