The Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, an annual high-octane NCAA basketball tournament, returns to the Orleans Arena Nov. 26 and 27.
Highly anticipated games include the ones between West Virginia University and the University of Richmond, as well as the matchup between San Diego State University and the University of California, Berkeley. East Carolina University, Sam Houston State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Bethune-Cookman University and Stetson University will also be competing this year.
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins hopes to lead the Mountaineers to victory at the Invitational in his ninth season coaching the team. West Virginia enters the tournament with a 25-win season and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship last year.
The University of Richmond, which won 21 games last season, returns four starters, including Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year, ShawnDre’ Jones. The junior guard is hoping for a repeat of his sophomore year when he averaged 10.3 points per game.
The San Diego State Aztecs, coming off back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships, return to Las Vegas after a sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Aztecs finished the 2014-15 season with a 27-9 record.
University of California, Berkeley heads into the tournament with three returning starters, including senior Tyrone Wallace, who was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award last year. Wallace, who was awarded First Team-All Pac-12 honors last year, has scored nearly 1,200 points in his career.
Each team will play four games – the first two at campus sites and the final two at the Orleans Arena.
Tournament begins at noon both days. Two-day ticket packages are available from $50, plus tax and fees, and can be purchased by calling the Orleans Arena Box Office at 702.284.7777 or at OrleansArena.com. Room and show packages are also available.
About Orleans Arena
The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities and the 2014 recipient of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. In addition, the Orleans Arena is one of only a handful of arenas in the United States to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is part of the largest company in Nevada to achieve SHARP Certification for commitments to safe venue operations. According to Venues Today magazine, the Orleans Arena, which hosts more than 200 events each year, consistently ranks in the Top 10 for ticket sales in the United States and internationally among venues of similar size. These events include nationally touring concerts, NCAA basketball conference tournaments, family shows, motorsports and other unique events. For more information, call 702-365-7469 or visit www.OrleansArena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena). Additional news and information on Boyd Gaming can be found at www.boydgaming.com.