Here’s who is joining Utah basketball in this year’s Charleston Classic
An important piece of Utah basketball’s nonconference schedule next season was officially announced Thursday.
The Utes will play in the eight-team Charleston Classic the weekend before Thanksgiving this year and will be joined by Dayton, Houston, LSU, North Texas, St. John’s, Towson and Wake Forest.
The schedule (each team will play three games) and bracket for the multiteam event will be determined later.
All games will be played Nov. 16, 17 and 19 at the TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina.
It’s only the second time Utah will play in South Carolina — the Utes participated in the Mrytle Beach Invitational in Conway, South Carolina, in 2019.
“We are thrilled to participate in one of the premiere annual MTEs in the country,” Utah head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith said in a statement.
“This event is loaded with a combination of high-level basketball programs with rich traditions of excellence and programs that have been very good over recent years. The City of Charleston is a fantastic destination for our fans with its rich history, heritage and known for its great hospitality. ESPN Events has a tremendous reputation for running first-class events so we are excited to compete in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic!”
Houston, which is joining the Big 12 Conference this year, headlines the field — the Cougars were a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Among the other teams, Rick Pitino will be headed into his first year as St. John’s head coach, while North Texas is coming off a season where it won the NIT.
Utah has a combined 14-12 record against the other seven teams in the tournament field. Towson is the only team the Utes have never faced.
Utah is coming off a 17-15 season where it finished 10-10 in Pac-12 play.
