UMSL men’s basketball won its first ever NCAA Regional Championship last season, and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II Elite 8. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, MO — The University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team will open its 2023-24 season at the Small Basketball College Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Fla. The games will be played on November 4 and 5 at Jenkins Fieldhouse on the campus of Florida Southern College.
UMSL will take on Cedarville College on the first day of the event, before playing East Region runner-up Bentley University on Day 2.
The event will once again be supported by Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing and Visit Central Florida.
“We are so excited for the 2023 version of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic,” John McCarthy, founder of Small College Basketball, said in a statement. “Once again, this will be very high-level college basketball, with ten outstanding teams competing in the finest in-season event within NCAA Division II basketball.
“Aside from the host school (Florida Southern), all of the nine teams are first-time participants in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. We are so grateful to the D2 Conference Commissioners for providing the exemption, and for their continued support.
“Additionally, and very importantly, we greatly appreciate the support of Visit Central Florida, Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, and Florida Southern College. Once again, this is going to be a great event.”
This year’s event will include ten teams for the second straight year. The National Hall of Fame Classic started in 2016 and Lakeland, Fla. marks the third location to host the event.
The event moved to Lakeland in 2022 after spending three years in St. Joseph, Mo. The classic did not take place during the 2020 season. Evansville, Ind. hosted the first two National Hall of Fame Classics.
The event will include five games on Saturday and Sunday. Below are the teams and matchups for this year’s classic. For more information on the National Hall of Fame Classic and Small College Basketball please head to www.smallcollegebasketball.com.
November 4, 2023 (Eastern Time)
11:00 – Colorado School of Mines vs. Bentley
1:15 – Missouri-St. Louis vs. Cedarville
3:30 – Central Oklahoma vs. Mercyhurst
5:45 – Florida Southern vs. Virginia Union
8:00 – Emporia State vs. UNC-Pembroke
November 5, 2023 (Eastern Time)
11:00 – Colorado School of Mines vs. Mercyhurst
1:15 – Bentley vs. Missouri-St. Louis
3:30 – Central Oklahoma vs. Cedarville
5:45 – Florida Southern vs. UNC-Pembroke
8:00 – Emporia State vs. Virginia Union