One-Day Event to Feature Houston, Providence, St. John’s and Saint Joseph’s
SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the matchups for the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase on Wednesday, December 20 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The doubleheader will feature St. John’s (Big East) taking on Saint Joseph’s (Atlantic 10) and local favorite Providence College (Big East) versus University of Houston (American Athletic).
“The Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase is sure to be a wonderful event, featuring storied collegiate programs and a beautiful venue,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “Mohegan Sun continues to be a tremendous partner and outstanding venue for the teams and fans alike and we look forward to a great day of basketball this holiday season.”
General public tickets will go on sale Friday, September 8 at 10am ET via all Ticketmaster outlets and the Mohegan Sun Arena box office. Game time, television details and an exclusive pre-sale opportunity for participating schools, will be released at later date.
Quotes from Participating Head Coaches
“It’s a great honor to be invited to play in a prestigious event that represents the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. We are playing a Providence team that has tremendous history and is a leader in the Big East. Coach Cooley and his staff have done a great job, and this will be a great challenge for our program. We look forward to coming to Uncasville and representing the University of Houston." – Kelvin Sampson, University of Houston
“We are excited to be returning to Mohegan Sun in December to play in the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase. Not only will we be playing in a first-class venue at Mohegan Sun, but we will be playing a very strong opponent in Houston. This will be a good test for our team prior to starting our conference play this season.” – Ed Cooley, Providence College
"We are honored to be associated with the Basketball Hall of Fame, an organization that promotes all levels of the game. We're delighted for our players to have the opportunity to compete against the legendary St. John's program and are looking forward to an old-fashioned Philly vs New York matchup!" - Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s University
“We are thrilled to be part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase at Mohegan Sun. It’s another competitive neutral site event on our schedule, held at a great basketball venue, that will get our team ready for BIG EAST play. The Basketball Hall of Fame always hosts topnotch events, so we are excited to return to Mohegan Sun Arena for the second time in the last three years.” – Chris Mullin, St. John’s University (Class of 2010: Dream Team and Class of 2011: Player)
About Mohegan Sun:
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Mohegan Sun Arena was also ranked among the top 10 arena venues in the nation for 2014, regardless of size. In 2015, Mohegan Sun took home the IEBA award for “Casino of the Year.” Mohegan Sun also won “Casino of the Year” in 2 categories at the 2013 & 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1-888.226-7711, ext. 27163.
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
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
… on Twitter/Instagram: @hoophall #HOFHolidayShowcase
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA