On Wednesday morning, the Miami Hurricanes were announced in the lineup of teams for the 2017 Hoophall Miami Invitational.
Fresh off a 22-12 season that included a trip to the NCAA tournament, the Canes look to build a solid schedule for next season. The Canes will face Princeton — Ivy League Champions at 23-7 and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2017 — in the 4-team event next fall. The event is hosted annually at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.
Here is the full release from UM Athletics:
CORAL GABLES, Fla. –The University of Miami men’s basketball team will face Princeton on Dec. 2 in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s third annual Hoophall Miami Invitational, a premier college basketball showcase held at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.
The one-day doubleheader event will feature a matchup of Syracuse and Kansas, as well as local favorite Miami versus reigning Ivy League Champion Princeton.
"We are very excited to be playing in the Hoophall Miami Invitational downtown at AmericanAirlines Arena for the second straight season,” said Coach Jim Larrañaga. “Hurricanes fans can look forward to getting an early look at our 2017-18 team, which will have seven returners and four newcomers on the roster. We will be facing a great opponent in the Princeton Tigers, who won the 2017 Ivy League Championship and played in the NCAA Tournament."
The game between Syracuse and Kansas will be the culmination of a multi-team event in which both teams will host Oakland University, University of Toledo and Texas Southern University on their campuses. The game between Miami and Princeton will be considered a single game in their respective schedules.
“We played Miami a couple of years ago, so we know they are a very good team,” said Princeton Coach Mitch Henderson. “This is an opportunity for us to play at AmericanAirlines Arena, and with Syracuse and Kansas there, it highlights four great programs in December.”
ESPN has partnered to televise the doubleheader, with game times and tune-in information to be released at later date.
“Now in its third year, the Hoophall Miami Invitational has become a premier college basketball event in a world-class facility,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We look forward to once again teaming up with the Miami HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena to host these elite teams and their fans in beautiful Miami.”
Leading up to the Hoophall Miami Invitational, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will host several community events and social functions including a high school basketball showcase at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Tickets are now available for the 2017 Hoophall Miami Invitational via Ticketmaster.com or by contacting the AmericanAirlines Arena box office.
With 4 name-brand college basketball teams, including the hometown Hurricanes, the 2017 Hoophall Invitational is going to be an event you don’t want to miss.
More on Canes Hoops in the coming days.