The 2013 Old Spice Classic is set to begin on Nov. 28 and will run through Dec. 1 at the HP Field House in Orlando, Fla. With a deep field featuring a couple of promising NBA prospects, there will be plenty of reason to check out one of this year’s earliest non-conference tournaments.
Old Spice Classic features Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State and Memphis
Most experts like the Cowboys to win the tournament in Orlando, but a tough test in the opening round could send them to the consolation side of the bracket.
Jamie Squire
Teams, Bracket:
Butler, LSU, Memphis, Oklahoma St., Purdue, Siena, St. Joseph’s, Washington St.
The full tournament bracket can be found here.
The Favorite: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys, led by All-America candidate Marcus Smart who surprisingly decided to return for his sophomore campaign, were picked to win the tournament by six of seven ESPN analysts. Smart will be the best player on the floor, and the teams that have the most talent tend to come out on top when they have to play three games in four days.
Key Storyline: Butler’s first test
The Butler Bulldogs were stunned when head coach Brad Stevens bolted for the bright lights of the NBA and the Boston Celtics earlier this month. The school acted quickly to hire Brandon Miller, a former player and assistant coach at Butler.
There will certainly be some growing pains for the program, especially early in the year as they adjust to losing seniors Rotnei Clarke and Andrew Smith. This will be the nation's first time seeing Butler without Stevens on the sidelines, and it'll be interesting to see just how different things are for the Bulldogs as they begin their first year in the Big East. Look for junior-to-be Roosevelt Jones to take a big step forward on the offensive end as the go-to scoring option.
Potential Upset: Purdue over Oklahoma St.
While the Pokes are viewed as the favorite, they also have arguably the toughest first round matchup. Purdue just couldn’t put it all together last season mostly due to youth and inexperience in a loaded Big Ten conference, although there’s a lot to like about the Boilermakers in 2013-14. Head coach Matt Painter signed a highly-regarded recruiting class and a bulk of their scorers are set to return.
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