Canes in Hoophall Miami Invitational at AAA
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team will play in the second annual Hoophall Miami Invitational, a premier college basketball showcase held in conjunction with AmericanAirlines Arena in early December, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
“Our team is very excited to be playing in the Hoophall Miami Invitational, right here in our own back yard, at AmericanAirlines Arena,” coach Jim Larrañaga said. “We will have a lot of new faces in our Hurricanes program this year, so playing downtown early in the season should provide a lot of excitement for our fans.”
On December 3 Virginia Commonwealth University will battle the University of Illinois, then in the second game of the day, Miami will face Wofford College. One week later, the event will showcase Georgetown University vs. La Salle University and Temple University vs. DePaul University.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is thrilled to be returning to Miami to host premier college basketball programs in a world-class facility,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We look forward to engaging with the Miami community and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Miami HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena for their support.”
The two-day event will bookend a week of community events in the Miami area.
As an extension of the college events, the Hoophall Miami Invitational will also feature local high school teams in a one-day showcase at AmericanAirlines Arena on the evening of Thursday, December 8. The event will provide a unique experience for elite teams from South Florida and their fans, with a ticket to the high school games also granting access to the college games. High school game times and matchups will be released at a later date.
On Friday, December 9, AmericanAirlines Arena will host the Hall of Fame Legends Luncheon, bringing together business professionals from the Miami-area and benefitting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Alonzo Mourning’s Mourning Family Foundation. The luncheon will be a star-studded meet and greet event with the legends of the game including Hall of Famers like Mourning and Pat Riley.
Also taking place on December 9 is the Hall of Fame Youth Clinic at Alonzo Mourning’s Overtown Youth Center. This 90-minute event will be hosted by Alonzo Mourning and college players participating in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. Attendees of the clinic will also be treated to the big games. Local businesses may show their support for the youth of Miami by donating game tickets to the main event. For more information call 786-777-4FUN.
Tickets are available for the 2016 Hoophall Miami Invitational via Ticketmaster.com. Groups of 10 or more may purchase discounted tickets at http://www.aaarena.com/hoophallgroups.
About American Airlines Arena
Since its opening on December 31, 1999, the 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena has proudly hosted megastars such as Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, One Direction, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, U2, Justin Timberlake, Phish, Madonna, Maná, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars to name a few. In addition, AmericanAirlines Arena is home to family shows such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which maintains a long term, exclusive South Florida run. AmericanAirlines Arena has also played host to several live televised events including the 2004 and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the prestigious Latin Grammy Awards and four NBA Finals, each placing Miami in the international spotlight. Private events have included product launches, corporate basketball tournaments, gala dinners and a host of meetings, large and small. For more information, please visit AAArena.com.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Mass., 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: @hoophall #HOFMiami or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA.
