Legends Classic 2014: Championship Schedule, Live Stream, Teams, TV Info

The only way that college basketball can capture the attention of the football-loving public around Thanksgiving is by showcasing marquee nonconference games that pit some of the nation’s most promising teams against each other.

The 2014 version of the Legends Classic tried its very best to do just that by inviting Oregon, Michigan, Villanova and VCU to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Here is a closer look at the essential information for the tournament. Games are available to live stream at Watch ESPN, while a bracket is available here, courtesy of ESPN.com.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Nov. 24	Villanova vs. VCU	7 p.m.	ESPN 2
Nov. 24	Michigan vs. Oregon	9 p.m.	ESPN 3
Nov. 25	Consolation Game	7:30 p.m.	ESPN U
Nov. 25	Championship Game	10 p.m.	ESPN 2

Closer Look

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com set the stage for this impressive field:

"

Why you’ll want to watch: Because you love college basketball and this event features a threesome that’s capable of making a lot of noise in March. 

The winner of this event will boost its overall résumé and emerge as an early national title contender and likely top-10 squad. It’s a great test for a collection of teams that will have a chance to make a statement in late November and secure key signature wins that will pay off on Selection Sunday. 

"

That threesome he mentioned is Michigan, Villanova and VCU, although Oregon is certainly a nationally recognized brand name that brings the respect of a Pac-12 team. The problem is, the Ducks lost a lot of talent for off-court issues during the offseason.

Michigan is an intriguing team because it lost Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary from its Elite Eight squad. Still, the Wolverines have Caris LeVert as the go-to option on the outside and the combination of Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. to offer support.

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

All three players are averaging more than 15 points per night in the early going, with Irvin leading the way at 20.7. All three can hit from the outside or get to the rim and will present a problem to the Ducks defense that is yet to play against solid competition.

As for Oregon, it lost Dominic Artis, Brandon Austin and Damyean Dotson in the offseason and will have serious trouble competing for an NCAA tournament spot.

To the Ducks’ credit, they are off to a perfect 3-0 start against Coppin State, Detroit and Toledo and beat Detroit by 17 (Michigan beat the Titans by nine). Joseph Young is a superstar in the making and is averaging 26 points per night in the early going for the Ducks. He will be tasked with matching LeVert’s production Monday.

As for VCU, fans at the Barclays Center should expect plenty of ball pressure and uptempo attacks.

Shaka Smart may have his best team ever, and the Rams are No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll (as of Sunday). Five players are averaging double-digit scoring per game, and Melvin Johnson, Treveon Graham and Briante Weber is one of the best threesomes in the country.

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Graham and Johnson are the high-scoring options on the wings, and Weber sets the table with crisp and timely passing.

The Rams will be tasked with facing Villanova, which is No. 12 in the Associated Press Poll (as of Sunday) and has Final Four aspirations.

The Wildcats got four starters back from a season ago, including juniors Dylan Ennis and Ryan Arcidiacono. Villanova’s top two scorers are averaging a combined 27 points per game and are leading the way while JayVaughn Pinkston finds his footing, but it is Arcidiacono’s defense in the early going that has provided the biggest boost for Villanova.

He is averaging 2.3 steals per game and is a major reason why the Wildcats were No. 17 in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, as of Sunday.

Ennis pointed out after a win against Lehigh that his team relies on that defense, per John Finger of CSNPhilly.com: “Any game we come in with the focus on defense. Coach preaches that we can’t run if we don’t play defense and rebound. Every practice we focus on defense.” 

That defense will need to be strong against VCU because the Rams love to push the tempo. It will be interesting to see if the Wildcats try to slow the pace or rely on their own talent to challenge VCU at its own game.

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