UAlbany To Play In The 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament

Springfield, Mass.- UAlbany Men's Basketball has been invited to be a part of the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament, sponsored by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The annual NCAA men's exempt tournament will take place the weekend of November 16th-18th at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut featuring eight schools in two four-team brackets. All teams will also compete in two campus round games.

The other seven teams scheduled to participate in this year's Tip-Off tournament are Loyola University Maryland (MAAC), Norfolk State University (MEAC), Ohio State University (Big Ten), Seton Hall University (Big East), University of Missouri-Kansas City (Summit League), University of Rhode Island (Atlantic 10) and University of Washington (Pac-12). Of the seven teams, UAlbany has only faced Seton Hall which was back on Jan. 7, 1925 with Seton Hall winning that contest.

The 2012 Tip-Off Tournament game schedule will be separated into two brackets. The Springfield bracket will include Albany, Loyola, UMKC and Norfolk State. The Naismith bracket will consist of Ohio State, Washington, Seton Hall, and Rhode Island. Game times and sessions for both rounds will be announced at a later date.

What the head coaches said about the tournament:

Thad Matta, Ohio State University
"Opening the 2012-13 season in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament will give our team the opportunity to gauge itself against quality competition in an NCAA tournament setting. Our program appreciates the opportunity to be a part of this outstanding event."

Lorenzo Romar, University of Washington
"Coach Jim Shaw has done a great job of trying to get us in one of the premier tournaments every year and this certainly falls into that category. We are privileged and honored to be selected as a participant in the Hall of Fame Tournament. The New York experience was great, we got to do a lot of things away from basketball. When we went to the CBE Classic (Kansas City) a few years ago, we got to see the NCAA Hall of Fame. Now, to be able to see and experience the Naismith Hall of Fame is something that may be our players only opportunity to ever see it. I'm already excited!"

Anthony Evans, Norfolk State University
"We are excited to be first-time participants in the Hall of Fame Tournament. It's an honor for us to be involved with an event that is connected to the history of the game. This is a great opportunity for our program and players."

Kevin Willard, Seton Hall University
"This is a great opportunity for our program to participate in one of the marquee early season events on the national calendar. We're proud to be a part of a tournament that celebrates the tradition and history of our sport. We're excited to be a part of this impressive field and look forward to the competition next November."

Jimmy Patsos, Loyola University Maryland
"We are looking forward to participating in the Tip-Off Tournament. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has formed a strong partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and we are honored to be selected to participate in the event next year."

Matt Brown, University of Missouri-Kansas City
"We are appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Tip-Off Tournament. We are not only looking forward to playing some great teams, but also be able to expose our student-athletes to the history of the sport of Basketball at the Hall of Fame."

Will Brown, University at Albany
"We are excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. We will open the season with a very challenging schedule as our first 2 games in the event will be against Ohio State and Washington. The event will also give us the opportunity to visit the Hall of Fame and play 2 more games at Mohegan Sun. This will be a great experience for our program, athletic department, university, alumni, and fans."

Jim Baron, University of Rhode Island
"We are proud to be among the field for the 2012 Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. It is a
tremendous tournament with outstanding teams, coaches, and student-athletes. We are looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to play in such a prestigious event."

For more information:
Visit on the web: www.hoophall.com
... on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
... on Twitter: @hoophall
... or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports