CEDAR PARK, Tex. – Two defending conference champions and top-50 RPI teams headline the 2016 Lone Star Showcase, the second-annual event that this season will feature NCAA Men’s Division I teams at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, home to the Spurs’ NBA D-League team. The three-day event will be played Nov. 21-23, 2016.
Little Rock, last year’s Cinderella squad after it’s upset of Purdue to open the NCAA tournament, and St. Bonaventure were both crowned conference champions in their respective leagues. Little Rock won the Sun Belt Conference and finished with a school-record 30 wins after falling to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAAs. The Bonnies, who hail from St. Bonaventure, N.Y., just south of Buffalo, earned a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title. Central Michigan, one year removed from a Mid-American regular-season championship, and Pepperdine round out the round-robin field.
2016 LONE STAR SHOWCASE TEAMS
- Central Michigan (Mid-American Conference) – 17-16 record last season | CIT
- Little Rock (Sun Belt Conference) – 30-5 record | NCAA Tournament Second Round
- Pepperdine (West Coast Conference) – 18-14 record | CBI
- St. Bonaventure (Atlantic 10 Conference) – 22-9 record | NIT
“We are excited to return to Austin and the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park for the second year of the Lone Star Showcase,” said bd Global President Brooks Downing. “This year’s men’s field features four tremendous programs. As Little Rock proved in the NCAA Tournament in March, these teams can compete with anybody in the country at any level.”
The action tips on Monday, Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Tickets are good for both games each day and the schedule is as follows:
MONDAY, NOV. 21
- 5:00 p.m. – St. Bonaventure vs. Little Rock
- 7:30 p.m. – Central Michigan vs. Pepperdine
TUESDAY, NOV. 22
- 5:00 p.m. – Central Michigan vs. St. Bonaventure
- 7:30 p.m. – Pepperdine vs. Little Rock
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23
- 5:00 p.m. – St. Bonaventure vs. Pepperdine
- 7:30 p.m. – Little Rock vs. Central Michigan
Lone Star Showcase Opening Games
As part of the tournament, a slate of Opening Games will be held at home sites preceding the games in Texas:
- IU-Kokomo at Central Michigan – Nov. 11
- Central Baptist at Little Rock – Nov. 12
The Westin Austin at The Domain to Serve Official Host Resort
The teams of this year’s Lone Star Showcase will stay at The Westin Austin at The Domain. The property boasts a wide range of great features and amenities including 341 luxurious rooms and suites featuring the signature Westin Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath® products, as well as the Westin Workout Fitness Studio with state-of-the-art equipment and an outdoor pool.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the 2016 Lone Star Showcase go on-sale to the public on Friday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. ET at HEBCenter.com or through Ticketmaster.
For complete information, visit www.cedarparkbasketball.com or follow on Twitter at @LoneStarBKB.