Legends of Basketball Classic
FRISCO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2022) – Powerhouse college basketball programs Gonzaga and Tennessee, both of whom project as preseason top-10 programs heading into the 2022-23 season, will play in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic, a charity exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game is set for 8 p.m. CT, and iNDEMAND – the largest distributor of PPV and on demand programming in North America – will serve as the exclusive streaming and TV distributor of the event. Proceeds from the event will benefit the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation.
Gonzaga
Gonzaga returns All-American and Player of the Year candidate Drew Timme along with a bevy of contributors, including starters Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther, from last season’s team that went 28-4 and spent nine weeks at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. In addition, the Bulldogs welcome one of the country’s top transfers – SoCon Player of the Year Malachi Smith – to Spokane this season, along with 7-foot LSU transfer Efton Reid III. Head coach Mark Few is the nation’s winningest active coach by percentage at .836, carrying a 657-129 record in his 23 seasons with the program.
Tennessee
Tennessee returns four of its top-five scorers from last season’s team that finished 27-8 overall, won the SEC Tournament and made a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Vols return first-team All-SEC guard Santiago Vescovi, upperclassmen starters Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic, and also bring in a highly touted recruiting class highlighted by McDonald’s All-American Julian Phillips. Head coach Rick Barnes, entering his 36th season as a head coach and eighth with the Vols, is one of six active coaches with more than 750 career wins.
About the McLendon Foundation
The McLendon Foundation, established in 1999, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded and administered by NACDA. Through the scholarship program and leadership initiative, the McLendon Foundation provides minorities educational resources, practical experiences and serves as a vehicle for networking, career advancement and advocacy on behalf of the profession. More information regarding the McLendon Foundation can be found at www.minorityleaders.org.
