Field for 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Classic is Set

West Virginia is set to see an old conference foe.

A month ago, West Virginia released its non-conference schedule for the men's basketball team's 2023-24 season. In that release, the Mountaineers announced that they will be playing UMass in the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. 

On Wednesday, John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, officially announced the field for this year's classic which pits matchups between UMass vs. West Virginia and Florida Atlantic vs. St. Bonaventure.

“We are thrilled to welcome these four teams to Springfield in December for what is sure to be an exciting doubleheader,” Doleva said via press release. “Since the City of Springfield is the birthplace of basketball, we look forward to providing a unique experience to the teams and their fans which will include a visit to the Hall of Fame.”

This will mark the first time since 2007 that West Virginia will see UMass, a team they played regularly as members of the Atlantic 10 from the early 70s to the mid-90s. West Virginia leads the all-time series, 28-13.

“We are thrilled to play UMass in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic," WVU head coach Bob Huggins said in the release. "I’m sure some of our fans will remember and appreciate the great conference games that WVU and UMass had years ago, including when I played. Obviously, Frank Martin and I are very dear friends, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach and as a person. I know how hard his teams play, how well-coached they are and they will be extremely well-prepared for us. We look forward to having Mountaineer Nation in Springfield for the game in addition to hoping they visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.” 

The Mountaineers and Minutemen will square off on December 16th at MassMutual Center. A tip time for the game has not been determined.

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