Panther Men's Basketball Set For Crossover Classic

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI men's basketball team is set to open the 2020-21 season at the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from November 25-27.

Due to current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans have been allowed to attend the event but fans can watch full coverage of the tournament on ESPN networks (ESPN/ESPNU/ESPN2).

The Crossover Classic will operate in an 8 team bracket format consisting of, Saint Mary's, Memphis, Western Kentucky, UNI, West Virginia, south Dakota State, Utah State and VCU. The Panthers are scheduled to open the season on Wednesday, November 25 at 3:30 PM against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.

THE PANTHERS

The Panthers enter the season with two returning First Team All-MVC selections in AJ Green and Austin Phyfe as well as Most Improved Team member Trae Berhow. Green was honored as the league's Player of the Year a season ago and was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Austin Phyfe landed on the Preseason First Team while Trae Berhow landed on the Preseason Third Team.

UNI is coming off a 25-6 overall record in 2019-20. The Panthers finished 14-4 in the MVC and claimed the MVC Regular Season Title.

UNI is receiving votes in both the Preseason Associated Press Poll (1 vote) and the USA Today Coaches Poll (8 votes).

The Panthers were a perfect 16-0 inside the McLeod Center last season. The Panthers have now finished undefeated in the McLeod Center three times, all under Jacobson, (2009-10, 2014-15, 2019-20).

The Panthers are now 63-6 when scoring 80+ points under Ben Jacobson, including a 12-0 mark in contest scoring over 80 points last season.

UNI has made at least one 3-Pointer in 658 straight games – the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference.

THE HILLTOPPERS

WKU is 69-32 all-time in season openers, including a 76-64 home win over Tennessee Tech last year.

This is the latest WKU has started a season since opening on Dec. 3 in 1994-95, and the first time starting play on a neutral court since opening the 2009-10 season in the NIT Tip-Off in Baton Rouge, La.

The Hilltoppers received one vote in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll. It's the first time WKU has received a vote in a national poll since Nov. 19, 2018.

WKU returns 70.8 percent of its scoring, 59.2 percent of its rebounding, 75.7 percent of its assists, 66.4 percent of its blocks and 70.1 percent of its steals from 2019-20. The Hilltoppers return four players – Taveion Hollingsworth, Charles Bassey, Carson Williams and Josh Anderson – who averaged double figures in scoring last season.

WKU is one of 44 programs in the nation to win at least 20 games in each of the last three seasons.

Taveion Hollingsworth was named to the All-C-USA Preseason Team for the third straight year. Hollingsworth enters this season just six points shy of 1,500 for his career and is the nation's active leader in consecutive starts with 102 – every game of his college career.

Charles Bassey was named a Preseason Second-Team All-American by Lindy's as he returns from a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg that ended his 2019-20 season after 10 games. Bassey, the nation's active career rebounding average leader, is on the watch list for the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year award.

BAD BOY MOWERS CROSSOVER CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Wednesday, November 25 (All times CT)
1 p.m. – Saint Mary's vs. Memphis (ESPN2)
3:30 p.m. – Western Kentucky vs. Northern Iowa (ESPNU)
6 p.m. – West Virginia vs. South Dakota State (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. – Utah State vs. VCU (ESPN2)

Thursday, November 26
11 a.m. – Semifinal No. 1 (ESPN)
1:30 p.m. – Semifinal No. 2 (ESPN)
4 p.m. – Consolation Semifinal No. 1 (ESPN/ESPN2)
6:30 p.m. – Consolation Semifinal No. 2 (ESPN2)

Friday, November 27
12:30 p.m. – Championship (ESPN)
3 p.m. – 5^th or 7^th place (ESPN2/ESPNU)
5:30 p.m. – 5^th or 7^th place (ESPN2/ESPNU)
8 p.m. – 3^rd place (ESPN2)

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