Arizona State’s Akil Watson (23), Brycen Long (3), Malachi Davis (7), Braelon Green (2) and others walk off the court after a game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas last season. Watson, now with UMass, will meet his former school when the teams tangle at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on Dec. 21.
AP FILE
The UMass men’s basketball team plans to play Arizona State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual Center on Dec. 21, according to a source.
OwlScoop.com was first to report the game. Temple will play Rhode Island in the first part of the doubleheader, per that report.
This would be the fourth straight year UMass participates in the Hall of Fame Classic. Last year, the Minutemen beat West Virginia 87-79 in the second part of a doubleheader at the Hall of Fame Classic. UMass lost to North Texas in the Hall of Fame Classic in both 2021 and 2022.
This would also be UMass’ second event associated with the Hall of Fame in its 2024 schedule. The Minutemen will also play in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off during Thanksgiving week at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. UMass plays Temple on Nov. 23 and Florida State on Nov. 24.
UMass was initially scheduled to participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase in a four-team tournament with Temple, Boston College and Providence before Boston College backed out to play in the Cayman Islands Classic. The Hall of Fame moved UMass and Temple to the Tip-Off event and replaced Boston College with Florida State.
UMass and Arizona State have never played each other. UMass sophomore forward Akil Watson played for the Sun Devils last year before transferring to UMass in May.