By Megan Sprengeler
Hawkeye fans can add the inaugural Cayman Island Classic, sponsored by the Mountain West Conference and set to take place Nov. 20-22 at the new John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Cayman Islands, to their basketball schedules.
Cincinnati, Louisiana-Lafayette, Buffalo, South Dakota State, Richmond, Wyoming, and Alabama-Birmingham will join Iowa in paradise.
Caymax Sports Ltd. and Global Sports Management made the decision to team up and run the first-ever Cayman Island Classic. The competition looks fierce — five of the teams competed in postseason play last season, with Cincinnati and South Dakota State advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
The Hawkeyes, lead by head coach Fran McCaffery, ended the season 19-15 and a with berth in the NIT.
Iowa made it to the second round of the NIT, then was eliminated by TCU.
After last season, Iowa is set to return four starters and eight letter-winners for the upcoming season, and it could be promising.
Richmond made an appearance in the NIT and was also eliminated by TCU.
Wyoming had a notable postseason run in 2017.
It finished the season 23-15 and won the College Basketball Invitational, its first title since winning the 1943 NCAA Championship.
Ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll, Cincinnati posted a 30-6 record and advanced to the Big Dance for the seventh-straight year.
South Dakota State brings back 6-9 Mike Daum, the nation’s top returning scorer at 25.1 points per game. The school made its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season.
UAB ended nearly even at the conclusion of its season, 17-16. Lafayette, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, posted a 21-12 record last season.
Buffalo went 17-15 last season after an impressive 2015-16 season in which it advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Opening the tournament, Iowa will take on Lafayette with the tip at 11 a.m. (CST), marking the first ever matchup between the two schools. South Dakota State and Wyoming will follow at 1:30 p.m.
The evening session will lead off with a matchup between Alabama-Birmingham and Richmond at 5 p.m. Opening-day competition will wrap up at 7:30 p.m. with Buffalo and Cincinnati.
The semifinal games are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21. Consolation rounds will begin at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The final day of the classic will consist of the seventh-place game to open the day at noon, followed by matchups for fifth-place, third-place, and the title game at 6:30 p.m. to crown the first ever Cayman Islands Classic champion.