Event headed by Springfield Rotary “Service Above Self” Luncheon on Friday, December 5th
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today a matchup of the University of Massachusetts and Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball teams for its 2014 Holiday Showcase to be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts on Sunday, December 7th at 2:00 pm.
“We again look forward to showcasing great college basketball in the City of Springfield. We appreciate the on-going support and partnership of the University of Massachusetts in this effort,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Both teams have had tremendous success over the last few years and we are truly excited to see them compete against each other this year at MassMutual Center here in Springfield.”
Coming off a 24-9 overall record including a trip to the NCAA Tournament, UMass has high expectations for the 2014-15 season by returning eight players from last season including senior Cady Lalanne and 6-7 guard Derrick Gordon. The Minutemen have also added three freshmen and one redshirted junior that the team will look for to contribute early on.
“Any time we can take our team to other parts of the Commonwealth is a good thing for our program. We like playing in Springfield and have enjoyed our relationship with the Hall of Fame,” said Derek Kellogg, Head Coach, University of Massachusetts. “FGCU is a strong team with some major talent that has established itself as one of the better teams in college basketball in recent years.”
Florida Gulf Coast University returns an experienced and talented core in 2014-15. Following a NIT appearance, the Eagles are looking to capitalize on the returning talent which includes Atlantic Sun All-Conference First Team and Atlantic Sun All-Tournament Team seniors Bernard Thompson and Brett Comer.
This game will once again be part of the University of Massachusetts season ticket package. Single game tickets to the Holiday Showcase will go on-sale at the MassMutual Center box office and the University of Massachusetts ticket office on October 20th. The game will mark the seventh-consecutive season that UMass has played at least one contest at the MassMutual Center, with a six-game winning streak following last season's thrilling victory against BYU in the 2013 Holiday Showcase.
In conjunction with the Holiday Showcase, the Basketball Hall of Fame will also be hosting the fifth annual Springfield Rotary “Service Above Self” Luncheon on Friday, December 5th at 12 pm on the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
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… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA