Gotham Classic 2014: Teams, Schedule, Live Stream, TV Info

The excitement of March can never be topped when it comes to college basketball, but early-season showcases and tournaments certainly whet the appetite before conference play.

The Gotham Classic, which appropriately culminates with two clashes in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, is the newest of these early-season events. It began in 2012 and will feature marquee nonconference showdowns in its 2014 version.

Here is a look at the teams, schedule and broadcast information before digging into an early preview for the high-profile showcase game. The official schedule can be found on the event's website here.

Date	Game	Location	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream
12/13/14	Howard at Richmond	Richmond, Va.	6 p.m.	CBS WTVR
12/15/14	IUPUI at Howard	Washington, D.C.	6 p.m.
12/15/14	South Alabama at Pepperdine	Malibu, Calif.	10 p.m.
12/17/14	Howard at Pepperdine	Malibu, Calif.	10 p.m.
12/18/14	South Alabama at Richmond	Richmond, Va.	7 p.m.
12/20/14	Richmond vs. Pepperdine	Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.	7 p.m.	ESPN 3	WatchESPN
12/20/14	NC State vs. West Virginia	Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.	9:30 p.m.	ESPN 2	WatchESPN
12/20/14	South Alabama at IUPUI	Indianapolis, Ind.	1 p.m.	ESPN 3	WatchESPN
12/23/14	IUPUI at Richmond	Richmond, Va.	12 p.m.
12/23/14	Howard at South Alabama	Mobile, Ala.	8 p.m.
12/27/14	IUPUI at Pepperdine	Malibu, Calif.	4 p.m.

Showcase Game to Watch: North Carolina State vs. West Virginia

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports believes the North Carolina State Wolfpack will be a factor in the ACC before the season ends:

"

North Carolina State has a chance to be a factor at the top of the ACC's second tier mostly because the Wolfpack's perimeter trio of Cat Barber, Trevor Lacey, and Ralston Turner provides a unique blend of speed, seasoning, toughness, and shooting. Through eight games, that triumvirate is averaging 41.9 points while already accumulating a combined 34 made 3-point shots. Mark Gottfried's team is 7-1 after eight games and will be battle tested before league play kicks into high gear in January. NC State will play Tennessee, West Virginia (Gotham Classic in NYC), Louisiana Tech, and Cincinnati between Dec. 17 and Dec. 30.

"

It is still hard to jump to many conclusions about North Carolina State just yet until it plays those difficult games in December.

Yes, it is an impressive 7-1, but those seven victories came against Jackson State, Hofstra, Jacksonville, South Florida, Richmond, Boise State and Wake Forest, which is not exactly murderer’s row. Things will get much more difficult in ACC play when the Dukes, North Carolinas, Louisvilles and Virginias of the world are lining up on the other side.

The loss to Purdue doesn’t even look that great now that the Boilermakers fell to North Florida in a stunning upset.

However, West Virginia will have difficulty dealing with the trio that Rothstein mentioned. Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner and Anthony Barber pace an offense that is ranked in Ken Pomeroy’s top 50 (as of Thursday), and the problem those three players present for opponents is their athleticism and speed.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

All are more than willing to get out in transition and push the tempo, and they can attack the rim off the bounce. What’s more, they are threats behind the three-point line if defenders back off to prevent penetration.

While the Wolfpack get most of their scoring from the perimeter players, it is actually their rebounding that will present the biggest problem for most opponents this year. They are 13th in the country in total rebounds per game as of Thursday and are led by Lennard Freeman’s 8.4 boards a night.

The Wolfpack have perimeter scorers who can slash and shoot and a team-wide physical presence in the paint. That is a solid combination that will challenge the nationally ranked Mountaineers.

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

As for West Virginia, it is also off to a hot start with an 8-1 mark and boasts a victory over the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies on the early resume. The only loss was a one-point heartbreaker against LSU in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge when Josh Gray made a layup with less than 10 seconds left to give the Tigers the critical nonconference win.

Like North Carolina State, West Virginia gets most of its scoring from a threesome of players. Guard Juwan Staten paces the team with 15 points a night, but forwards Jonathan Holton and Devin Williams are bangers who are both averaging double-digit scoring totals as well.

Staten was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring last season at 18.1 points per game. However, Bob Huggins has kept his superstar somewhat fresh in the early going this season after adding seven players in the offseason.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Staten is averaging 29.7 minutes a game and discussed the new-found approach before the season, via Matt Hauswirth of West Virginia Illustrated:

"

I feel like that'll allow me to play even harder for the time that I'm out there if I have more time to rest. It's obvious that I can play 40 minutes if I need to. I'm sure there will probably be some games that I do. But for the most part, being able to get rest just makes me be able to play longer and harder for a longer period throughout the season. So I really think that'll show up towards the end of the season when I'll be fresher.

"

Staten’s late-game production with fresher legs will be key in the game against North Carolina State.

The Wolfpack may have a sizable rebounding advantage over plenty of opponents this year, but West Virginia will not be one of them. It is 27th in the country in total rebounds per game (as of Thursday) thanks largely to the 15.6 combined boards a night that Holton and Williams grab.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

If nothing else, the physical Mountaineers will present a problem for a Wolfpack squad that gets most of its scoring from the outside.

North Carolina State will not be able to dominate down low or on the glass, and it won’t have an answer to the dynamic Staten in Madison Square Garden. Look for West Virginia to walk away with the win. 

Prediction: West Virginia 74, North Carolina State 66

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