MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers fly west for the Thanksgiving holiday as they prepare to compete in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland, Oregon.
The Mountaineers tip off Thursday against Purdue, the first opponent in a stacked field for the early-season tournament. This will be West Virginia’s first-ever appearance in the event.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament?
The Phil Knight Legacy Tournament was first held in 2017 to honor Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. All teams involved with the tournament have a business relationship with the company.
The tournament was held from 2017-19, but it was put on pause in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It did not return in 2021, but it is back for 2022 to celebrate Knight’s 85th birthday.
In addition to the men’s tournament, the 2022 edition will feature a women’s bracket for the first time consisting of UConn, Duke, Iowa and Oregon State. There will also be a third tournament, the Phil Knight Invitational, that will also feature a field of eight men’s teams with Nike ties.
Who’s in this year’s Phil Knight Legacy?
The Mountaineers and the Boilermakers are joined by some of the top teams in the country, including No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 7 Duke, Florida and Oregon State. Portland State and Xavier will also compete in this year’s tournament.
West Virginia is one of three teams in the field that did not receive a vote in this week’s AP Top 25 ranking.
After playing its opener against Purdue, the Mountaineers await the result of the first-round matchup between Gonzaga and Portland State. On the other side of the bracket, Xavier will face Florida, while Duke will face Oregon State.
When do the games start?
Since the tournament is taking place on the west coast, Mountaineer fans will have to stretch their bedtimes to catch this tournament.
WVU’s first game against Purdue is set for a 10 p.m. ET tip-off. Fans that want to scout WVU’s second-round opponent will want to watch the Gonzaga vs. Portland State clash, which tips off at 12:30 a.m. ET on Friday (depending on the ending of WVU’s game.
Tip-off in the second round depends on the result of WVU’s first round. With a win over Purdue, WVU will start at 10:30 p.m. ET. If they lose, they will start in the consolation bracket at 9 p.m. ET.
Where can I watch the Phil Knight Legacy?
The tournament will be shown on the ESPN family of networks.
WVU’s game against Purdue will be shown on ESPN2 on Thursday. If the Mountaineers move on to the winner’s bracket, they will play on ESPN. The second-round game in the consolation bracket will be shown on ESPNews.
