2022 The Basketball Classic
The 2022 The Basketball Classic (TBC) was a single-elimination men's college basketball postseason tournament featuring National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams not selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The tournament began on March 15 with the semifinals played on March 29 and the championship game played on April 1. The tournament was won by the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Basketball Classic was founded by Eracism. This was the tournament's inaugural edition, officially known as the 2022 The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism. All games  were streamed on ESPN+. Structure. Tournament organizers originally announced that there would be 32 teams in the field. However, when the participating teams were named, there were only 21 listed. Three teams then withdrew prior to competing, leaving the actual field size at 18 for the tournament. In lieu of a traditional bracket, a model previously used by the NIT was implemented, in which the matchups are set after each round. Later-round host sites are determined, at least in part, by first-round game attendance figures. Five matchups in the tournament were designated as "Legend Games", honoring Willis Reed , Travis Grant, Zelmo Beaty, Marques Haynes and Cleo Hill, all of whom played college basketball at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In addition to advancing in the tournament, the winning teams received a trophy honoring the legend for whom the particular game was named. Due to scheduling issues, the Cleo Hill game was not played. Participating teams. The following 18 teams accepted invitations to the tournament and competed. Team records listed are from before the tournament started. Three programs accepted invitations, but withdrew prior to playing: Merrimack, UMBC, Wofford. The following programs declined invitations: Arkansas State, Liberty, Oakland, Samford , Sam Houston State, Utah Valley, Weber State. Bracket. The Basketball Classic field was announced after the field for the NIT was released on March 13. "Note: Bracket is for visual purposes only." In lieu of a traditional bracket, the field and matchups are re-set after each round. With an 18-team bracket, organizers chose to match one second-round winner against Portland, with three other second-round winners advancing directly to the semifinals. "Home teams listed second." <nowiki>*</nowiki> – Denotes overtime periods Awards. The following most valuable players were selected for each of the Legend Games: 2022 The