Legends Classic 2013: Teams, Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket, TV Info

The gamut of early-season college basketball tournaments will rampage its way through the Barclays Center starting Monday, as the 2013 Legends Classic hits the beloved borough.

Founded in 2007, the Legends Classic has usually found a way to pit some of the nation's top teams against one another. Last season, Indiana defeated Georgetown in the championship game, which kept the Hoosiers sitting at No. 1 in what everyone expected would be a season-long reign.

The 2013 crop is a little lacking in that regard. None of the four teams—Pittsburgh, Texas Tech, Stanford and Houston—are ranked, nor do they possess any of the high-profile freshman ruling this campaign. In a preseason tournament schedule that has already seen Parker v. Wiggins I and the nation's top two teams battle for the first time in a half-decade, you could understand why some would shrug their shoulders and move in the other direction.

Nevertheless, in just two seasons Barclays Center has already become one of the premier venues in all of basketball. Much like the mecca of basketball, it always feels like something special is happening in those venues even if the product is lacking. (Cut to Knicks and Nets fans grimly nodding.)

Plus, tournaments are fun. Winners get trophies and things. That's more than enough reason to watch.

With that in mind, let's check in on the 2013 Legends Classic and preview the semifinal matchups.

Tournament Information

When: Monday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. ET; Tuesday Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn

Watch: Various ESPN networks (see chart below)

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	Watch	Stream
1	Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech	7:30 p.m.	ESPN2	WatchESPN
2	Stanford vs. Houston	9:30 p.m.	ESPN2	WatchESPN
3	Consolation	7 p.m.	ESPN3	WatchESPN
4	Championship	9:30 p.m.	ESPNU	WatchESPN

Semifinal Preview

Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech

It's been a good start to the season for the Panthers. Coming off a Round of 64 appearance in last year's Big Dance, Talib Zanna and Lamar Patterson have returned for their senior seasons with force. Pitt has started off with four straight wins, and Zanna and Patterson have shown a promising ability to take over as leaders.

Patterson, taking over most of the primary ball-handling duties from the graduated Tray Woodall, is averaging a surprising 5.5 assists to go along with notable improvements as a scorer and rebounder. The fifth-year senior looks more comfortable than ever from behind the arc, which is no small feat considering he was an ice-cold 33.6 percent from three last season. 

Zanna, meanwhile, is just making everything. He's shooting 78.3 percent in the Panthers' 4-0 start, with a team-high 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds. There aren't any real new toys to his game here; Zanna has mostly benefited from playing teams that struggle handling his size. It's still nice to see just how much Zanna, also in his fifth year, has developed from the almost entirely raw player who arrived in the Steel City in 2009.

While this will undoubtedly be Pitt's biggest test of the season, it's highly likely the Panthers' hot start to the season continues. Texas Tech also started out 2013-14 well, winning four of its first five contests. 

Unlike Pitt, however, the Red Raiders' solid start has been mired with concerning issues—especially on offense. They haven't moved the ball well at all, averaging a paltry 11.8 assists per game, and are 274th in the nation in rebounding despite playing a pedestrian (at best) schedule. There are 351 Division I college basketball teams; Texas Tech ranks No. 294 in adjusted strength of schedule.

Jordan Tolbert and Jaye Crockett are off to nice starts, but Tubby's Smith's presence isn't going to be felt here for a year or two. The roster is just isn't talented enough to handle a team like the Panthers at this juncture. Remember, the Red Raiders' only loss this season came to Alabama—and the Crimson Tide pale in comparison to Pitt's talent.

This will be a rout.

Score Prediction: Pittsburgh 82, Texas Tech 64

Stanford vs. Houston

Here's a perfect example of why it's so hard early in the season to judge early-season contests. Houston, to use a super scientific term, has been awesome in its 5-0 start. The Cougars have received utter dominance from TaShawn Thomas in the middle.

Thomas is averaging a nightly 17-12 line with nearly five blocks per contest. And while it'd be fun to note the small sample size, Thomas' performance is mostly in line with his career numbers.

With sophomore guard Danuel House adding a team-high 17.8 points per game to the mix, it would seem the Cougars are in position to make a run at a postseason tournament.

And then you look at their schedule. When folks say a team "hasn't played anyone," they usually mean said squad has played a less-than-stellar schedule. In this case, I'm not even sure the Cougars have played actual college basketball teams.

Houston's strength of schedule is the seventh-worst in the nation. On average, the Cougars have played the equivalent to the 328th-ranked team in the land, using Ken Pomeroy's pythagorean measurements.

Stanford hasn't played the most boisterous schedule, either, ranking No. 157 in the nation in that department. But the Cardinal represent an uptick in difficulty of more than 100 teams in Pomeroy's rankings. 

Time to wave the Cardinal-red flag, folks. 

Chasson Randle should have an easy enough time continuing his hot start. Randle is averaging a really surprising 21.8 points per game, flashing an efficiency that just wasn't there his first two years on campus. Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis have enough of a presence inside that Thomas shouldn't have free run of the paint, either.

In all likelihood, we're looking at two teams playing for the right to get slaughtered by Pitt in the championship game. This tournament seems almost designed for the Panthers to return to the Top 25; one could argue they're already deserving of the distinction.

Nonetheless, it's looking like we're headed to an ACC-Pac-12 finale. Stanford wins, and it shouldn't be all that close.

Score Prediction: Stanford 78, Houston 67

(Note: All advanced metrics are courtesy of Ken Pomeroy.)

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