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Grand Canyon University Athletics
GCU to host Coach John McLendon Classic in CIT opening round
3/9/2016 12:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CollegeInsider.com has announced Grand Canyon University will host the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Coach John McLendon Classic on March 14, 2016 at GCU Arena. The game will be broadcasted live on the CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. PST time with the opponent yet to be determined.
The Coach John McLendon Classic will be a first round game in the 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) between GCU (25-6) and one Historically Black College or University (HBCU) who will play to advance to the second round of the CIT.
"We are very excited to be a part of the CIT for the third consecutive season and in particular our involvement in the Coach John McLendon Classic," head coach Dan Majerle said. "Coach McLendon is a legendary figure in our sport and GCU is honored to participate in the inaugural game recognizing all that he did."
Serving as a celebration of historically black colleges and universities and their rich basketball tradition, the Coach John McLendon Classic will pay tribute to Coach McLendon and the legacy of some of the great pioneers of the game. At the conclusion of the game, there will be a trophy presented to the winning team and the Most Valuable Player will receive an award.
"We are thrilled to have Grand Canyon University serve as the host for the inaugural Coach John McLendon Classic," commented Angela Lento, Vice President, College Insider.com, Inc. "Dan Majerle's team has had an outstanding season and they will have a chance to show a national audience their great arena and outstanding fan support. It will be a tremendous atmosphere for this important game."
From a secret game during Sunday morning church service to the first classic included in a postseason tournament, McLendon's legacy has made a profound impact on the game of basketball. McLendon pioneered and refined up-tempo pacing and the fast break offense at several historically black colleges and universities before taking them to the pros as the first African American head coach in professional sports. Even in their infancy, McLendon's strategies and coaching prowess were second to none.
McLendon, a trailblazer on the court, employed a similar style off the court. In 1944, Jim Crow laws did not allow integrated sports but McLendon knew that his team at the North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central) was a juggernaut and wanted a chance to prove it so he sought out the best all-white team in North Carolina. He didn't have to go very far to find them. A group of former college basketball stars, far superior to Duke's varsity squad, had gathered at Duke's medical school, enrolled in the Army and Navy WWII medical training programs. McLendon organized a game against the all-white team on a Sunday morning, March 12th, when most of Durham – including the police force – would be attending church. After a nervous start, McLendon's team drubbed their counterparts from Duke, 88-44, in what has become known as "The Secret Game," a stepping stone to integrating collegiate sports.
"The Coach John McLendon Classic will help showcase both the past and the present," Angela Lento of CollegeInsider.com added. "The game will feature some of the outstanding teams, coaches and players in the game today. It will also help bring attention to some of the greatest teams, greatest players and greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. Coach McLendon is without question one of the best to ever coach. Hopefully this game will bring more attention to his incredible legacy."
Following 2016, the Coach John McLendon Classic will be a permanent part of the CIT held annually during the nation's premier postseason tournament for teams that do not participate in the NCAA Basketball Championships or the NIT Tournament.
For more information on the 2016 CIT and the Coach John McLendon visit www.collegeinsider.com.
The Coach John McLendon Classic will be a first round game in the 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) between GCU (25-6) and one Historically Black College or University (HBCU) who will play to advance to the second round of the CIT.
"We are very excited to be a part of the CIT for the third consecutive season and in particular our involvement in the Coach John McLendon Classic," head coach Dan Majerle said. "Coach McLendon is a legendary figure in our sport and GCU is honored to participate in the inaugural game recognizing all that he did."
Serving as a celebration of historically black colleges and universities and their rich basketball tradition, the Coach John McLendon Classic will pay tribute to Coach McLendon and the legacy of some of the great pioneers of the game. At the conclusion of the game, there will be a trophy presented to the winning team and the Most Valuable Player will receive an award.
"We are thrilled to have Grand Canyon University serve as the host for the inaugural Coach John McLendon Classic," commented Angela Lento, Vice President, College Insider.com, Inc. "Dan Majerle's team has had an outstanding season and they will have a chance to show a national audience their great arena and outstanding fan support. It will be a tremendous atmosphere for this important game."
From a secret game during Sunday morning church service to the first classic included in a postseason tournament, McLendon's legacy has made a profound impact on the game of basketball. McLendon pioneered and refined up-tempo pacing and the fast break offense at several historically black colleges and universities before taking them to the pros as the first African American head coach in professional sports. Even in their infancy, McLendon's strategies and coaching prowess were second to none.
McLendon, a trailblazer on the court, employed a similar style off the court. In 1944, Jim Crow laws did not allow integrated sports but McLendon knew that his team at the North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central) was a juggernaut and wanted a chance to prove it so he sought out the best all-white team in North Carolina. He didn't have to go very far to find them. A group of former college basketball stars, far superior to Duke's varsity squad, had gathered at Duke's medical school, enrolled in the Army and Navy WWII medical training programs. McLendon organized a game against the all-white team on a Sunday morning, March 12th, when most of Durham – including the police force – would be attending church. After a nervous start, McLendon's team drubbed their counterparts from Duke, 88-44, in what has become known as "The Secret Game," a stepping stone to integrating collegiate sports.
"The Coach John McLendon Classic will help showcase both the past and the present," Angela Lento of CollegeInsider.com added. "The game will feature some of the outstanding teams, coaches and players in the game today. It will also help bring attention to some of the greatest teams, greatest players and greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. Coach McLendon is without question one of the best to ever coach. Hopefully this game will bring more attention to his incredible legacy."
Following 2016, the Coach John McLendon Classic will be a permanent part of the CIT held annually during the nation's premier postseason tournament for teams that do not participate in the NCAA Basketball Championships or the NIT Tournament.
For more information on the 2016 CIT and the Coach John McLendon visit www.collegeinsider.com.
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