Arizona will face Wichita State in the opening round of the Main Event mini-tournament at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, organizers officially announced Tuesday.
Michigan will face UNLV in the other opening game at 10:30 p.m. ESPNU will carry the Arizona-Wichita State game while ESPN2 will have Michigan-UNLV.
The two Nov. 19 winners will play on ESPN on Nov. 21 at 8:30 p.m. The consolation game is scheduled for 11 p.m. that day on ESPN2.
Michigan is expected to be a preseason Top 10 team while all three other teams will have new head coaches for their first full season (Wichita State's Isaac Brown took over the Shockers during last season).
βWe have four great basketball brands, and while Michigan may be at the top of the rankings during the preseason, the other three teams bring in top young coaches and superb talent," organizer Brooks Downing said in a statement.
Arizona's initial opponent in the Main Event was the only matchup missing in Arizona's pre-Christmas 2021-22 schedule, which now looks like this (most times and TV still TBA):
Oct. 2 Red Blue Game 3 p.m.
Oct. TBD Closed scrimmage
Nov. 1 Eastern New Mexico (exhibition)
Nov. 9 NAU
Nov 12 Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Nov. 16 North Dakota State (Main Event)
Nov. 19 Wichita State at Las Vegas (Main Event), 8 p.m.
Nov. 21 Michigan or UNLV at Las Vegas (Main Event), TBD
Nov. 27 Sacramento State
Dec. 2 Washington*
Dec. 5 at Oregon State*
Dec. 8 Wyoming
Dec. 11 at Illinois
Dec. 15 Northern Colorado
Dec. 18 Cal Baptist
Dec. 22 at Tennessee
*Pac-12 games. Remaining 18 Pac-12 games will be played after Christmas and are yet to be announced.
Sophomore guard Pelle Larsson did not make the Sweden's national World Cup prequalifying team, which is heading to Portugal.
ESPN's updated "Bracketology" has UA listed as a "Next Four Out" (though it is still unknown if the Wildcats will be eligible.)
