GAME DAY! Welcome To The Inaugural Barstool Sports Invitational
The wait is over! Welcome to game day for the inaugural Barstool Sports Invitational. Tonight, Barstool Sports puts together a college basketball experience unlike anything else. Four teams are making their way to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia to participate in this doubleheader. Let's not waste any more time and break down each game for you.
Game 1: UAB -4 vs. Toledo, O/U 155.5
There's no other way around it: UAB and Toledo are two of the best mid-majors in college basketball. Both teams like to move the ball quickly, which is the reason that the total is so high for this one. For the Blazers, Jordan "Jelly" Walker is the name to remember. He is one of the most electric players in college basketball and is not afraid to pull up and shoot from anywhere on the court. Jelly dropped a casual 38 points in UAB's season opener on Monday. Not bad. As for the Rockets, they are the defending MAC regular season champions. JT Shumate is someone you want to keep your eyes on, as he is on the First Team Preseason All-MAC Team. Toledo has won at least 20 games in four out of the last five seasons.
At halftime of the UAB-Toledo game, tune in to watch Yak Basketball:
Game 2: Mississippi State -6.5 vs. Akron, O/U 130
Although this is just the first year of the Barstool Sports Invitational, the fact that an SEC school is participating right off the bat is really, really cool. New Head Coach Chris Jans comes to Starkville after a very successful run at New Mexico State, and he takes over a roster that includes some familiar faces and a ton of transfers. Big man Tolu Smith is the tallest player of any team at this year's event (6-11), and he is an All-SEC Preseason First Team member. Meanwhile, Akron is coming off its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the Zips nearly upset No. 4 UCLA in the First Round of the Big Dance last year. They have one of the best 1-2 punches in mid-major college basketball with Enrique Freeman and Xavier Castaneda, who are both Preseason All-MAC members. This game is going to be fantastic.
Some FAQ's for you to get ready for today's broadcast:
Where can I watch?
Barstool.tv starting at 4:45 PM ET. No subscription or fee.
Who will be on the call?
I will be handling play-by-play duties, Dave and Big Cat will be analysts, and Rone and Caleb will each be on the sidelines.
Where can I buy tickets?
A ton of people behind the scenes have been working very hard to make this event come to life, and it is going to be awesome to see it all come together. Hope you can join us for the inaugural Barstool Sports Invitational!