NASSAU, The Bahamas – Jacksonville State's men's basketball team has been selected to play in the 2021 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championships tournament in Nassau, Bahamas.
A combined 19 NCAA men's and women's teams will participate in the newly announced event, which features a Power Five and Mid-Major bracket, making it the largest early-season event in all of college basketball. In total, 23 games will be played across three events during the U.S. Thanksgiving week, Nov. 22-27 at the Baha Mar Convention Center.
The basketball action tips on Monday, Nov. 22 with the eight-team Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship. The men's tournament is in its fourth iteration after launching in 2017. Along with JSU, the field includes Charlotte, Toledo, Coastal Carolina, Tulane, Drexel, Valparaiso and the Gamecocks' opening-round opponent, Abilene Christian. The Wildcats won the Southland Conference last season before upsetting 3-seed Texas in the NCAA Tournament's First Round. JSU and ACU have never met on the hardwood.
Consolation games will be played Tuesday, Nov. 23 beginning at noon, followed by the winning semifinals that evening. Wednesday's championship game will be at 8 p.m. ET. All 12 games of the Nassau Championship will broadcast on FloHoops.
Just a 55-minute flight from Florida, Baha Mar opened in 2017 and is home to three iconic brands: Grand Hyatt, SLS and Rosewood. Situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau's famous Cable Beach, the resort destination features more than 2,300 rooms and an abundance of dynamic programming, activities, and amenities including the largest casino in the Caribbean, a state-of-the-art convention center, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean's first and only flagship ESPA spa, a collection of more than 40 restaurants and lounges. A $200 million luxury water park, Baha Bay debuted in July 2021 as the latest addition to Baha Mar's portfolio of spectacular guest offerings. Set on 15 beachfront acres, Baha Bay has introduced an exciting array of aquatic activities and experiences, alfresco dining, a gaming pavilion, beach club, and more.
In JSU's most recent international competition, Jax State defeated Western Carolina and North Florida in Cancun, Mexico, during the 2018-19 season to claim the Mayan Division Championship of the Cancun Challenge. The Gamecocks also played a pair of games on the British Virgin Islands during the 2013-14 campaign as part of the Tropical Shootout.
The Gamecocks expect to release complete 2021-22 scheduling news in the coming weeks.
