Vegas Showdown (basketball)

The Vegas Showdown formerly known as the Wooden Legacy is an annual early-season men's college basketball competition that began in 2013. It was formerly named in honor of basketball coach John Wooden, whose UCLA Bruins teams won 10 national championships over the 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975.

Vegas Showdown

Formerly	Wooden Legacy, Wooden Classic and DirecTV Classic
Sport	College Basketball
Founded	2013
No. of teams	8 (2013–2019) 4 (2020–present)
Most recent champion(s)	BYU
Official website	Vegas Showdown

History and format

The Wooden Legacy was formed in 2013 by a merger between the Wooden Classic and DirecTV Classic.^[1] From 2013 through 2019, eight teams competed in the Wooden Legacy in a three-day, 12-game bracketed tournament,^[2] with the games televised on the ESPN Networks (ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3). From 2013 to 2016, the first two rounds were played at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, California, and the final day of competition took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.^[3] From 2017 to 2019, all games were played at Titan Gym.^[4]

Beginning in 2020, plans called for the Wooden Legacy to have a two-day, four-team format,^[5] with all games played at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim.^[5] The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 tournament.^[6] The four-team, two-day tournament format instead debuted in 2021,^[7] with the semifinals and championship game televised by ESPN2 and the third-place game by ESPNU.^[8]

Brackets

2024

The 2024 edition of the Vegas Showdown will be a showcase format, played on Tuesday, November 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As part of the Vegas Showdown, on the weekend following the doubleheader in Las Vegas, Seattle will play Duke Cameron Indoor Stadium and Furman will play Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.^[9]

November 26 T-Mobile Arena Paradise, NV     Furman Seattle

November 26 T-Mobile Arena Paradise, NV         Duke   Kansas

Campus games

November 29 Cameron Indoor Stadium Durham, NC         Seattle   Duke

November 30 Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS         Furman   Kansas

2023

The tournament took place from November 23-24, 2023 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas and was renamed Vegas Showdown.^[10]

	Semifinals November 23					Championship November 24
	NC State		84
	Vanderbilt		78
						NC State		86
						BYU		95
	Arizona State		49
	BYU		77			3rd place Game November 24
						Vanderbilt		67
						Arizona State		82

* – Denotes overtime period

2022

The tournament is set to take place from November 23-24, 2022.^[11]

	Semifinals November 23					Championship November 24
	Fresno State		57
	Washington		62
						Washington		68*
						Saint Mary's		64
	Saint Mary's		75
	Vanderbilt		65			3rd place Game November 24
						Fresno State		59
						Vanderbilt		67

2021

^[12]

	Semifinals November 25					Championship November 26
	24	USC	70
		Saint Joseph's	55
						24	USC	58
							San Diego State	43
	Georgetown		56
	San Diego State		73			3rd place Game November 26
							Saint Joseph’s	77
							Georgetown	74

2020

Originally, Georgetown, Kansas, UCLA, and Virginia committed to play in the 2020 Wooden Legacy.^[13] In August 2020, the Pac-12 Conference announced the cancellation of all sports events for its member schools until January 1, 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening UCLA's participation; despite this, UCLA never withdrew from the Wooden Legacy.^[14] In the first round, Georgetown was expected to face Kansas and UCLA to play Virginia. In September 2020, ESPN announced plans to move the college basketball nonconference events it planned to run in November and December 2020, including the Wooden Legacy, to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in an effort to keep players and staffs safer during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.^[15] The announcement prompted Georgetown and Virginia to withdraw from the tournament, and Seton Hall and Boise State replaced them.^[13] Ultimately, however, ESPN canceled all the 2020 tournaments, including the Wooden Legacy, in late October 2020.^[6]

2019

^{[16][17] [18]}

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 20					Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 29					First Round Thursday, November 28					Semifinals Friday, November 29					Championship Sunday, December 1
											Providence		65
											Long Beach State		66
						Providence		55								Long Beach State		75
						College of Charleston		63								Wake Forest		88
											Wake Forest		65
											College of Charleston		56
	College of Charleston		56																			Wake Forest	66
	UCF		77																		14	Arizona	73
											UCF		67
											Penn		68
	7th Place Game					UCF		78									Penn	82			3rd Place Game
						Pepperdine		65								14	Arizona	92
	Providence		80								14	Arizona	93								Long Beach State		79
	Pepperdine		77									Pepperdine	91								Penn		95

2018

^{[19] [20]}

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 25				Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 23				First Round Thursday, November 22				Semifinals Friday, November 23				Championship Sunday, November 25
									La Salle	49
									Miami (FL)	85
					La Salle	74							Miami (FL)	78
					Northwestern	91							Fresno State	76
									Northwestern	59
									Fresno State	78
	Northwestern	79															Miami (FL)	81
	Utah	57															Seton Hall	83
									Seton Hall	82
									Grand Canyon	75
	7th Place Game				Grand Canyon	66							Seton Hall	64			3rd Place Game
					Utah	75							Hawai'i	54
	La Salle	70							Hawai'i	90							Fresno State	79
	Grand Canyon	82							Utah	79							Hawai'i	64

Campus Site Games

	November 16
	Binghamton		52
	Northwestern		84

2017

^{[21] [22]}

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 26					Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 24					First Round Thursday, November 23					Semifinals Friday, November 24					Championship Sunday, November 26
											21	Saint Mary's	89
												Harvard	71
						Harvard		77								21	Saint Mary's	79
						Saint Joseph's		71									Washington State	84
											Saint Joseph's		71
											Washington State		75
	Harvard		61																		Washington State		93
	Cal State Fullerton		70																		San Diego State		86
											Georgia		64
											Cal State Fullerton		57
	7th Place Game					Cal State Fullerton		68								Georgia		68			3rd Place Game
						Sacramento State		63								San Diego State		75
	Saint Joseph's		74								San Diego State		89								21	Saint Mary's	81
	Sacramento State		69								Sacramento State		52									Georgia	83*

Campus Site Games

	Game 1 December 4
		Sacramento State	54
		Saint Mary's	70

2016

• ^{[23] [24]}

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 27					Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 25					First Round Thursday, November 24					Semifinals Friday, November 25					Championship Sunday, November 27
											Texas A&M		95
											Cal State Northridge		73
						Cal State Northridge		89								Texas A&M		68
						New Mexico		105								Virginia Tech		65
											New Mexico		72
											Virginia Tech		92
	New Mexico		57																			Texas A&M	67
	Dayton		64																		14	UCLA	74
											Dayton		78
											Nebraska		80
	7th Place Game					Dayton		84									Nebraska	71			3rd Place Game
						Portland		74								14	UCLA	82
	Cal State Northridge		78									Portland	77								Virginia Tech		66
	Portland		96								14	UCLA	99								Nebraska		53

2015

^{[25] [26]}

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 29					Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 27					First Round Thursday, November 26					Semifinals Friday, November 27					Championship Sunday, November 29
											Boise State		71
											UC Irvine		64
						UC Irvine		80									Boise State	67
						Boston College		67								3	Michigan State	77
												Boston College	68
											3	Michigan State	99
	UC Irvine		56																		3	Michigan State	77
	Evansville		75																			Providence	73
											Evansville		64
											Providence		74
	7th Place Game					Evansville		69									Providence	69			3rd Place Game
						Santa Clara		57								11	Arizona	65
	Boston College		45									Santa Clara	73									Boise State	59
	Santa Clara		62								11	Arizona	75								11	Arizona	68

2014

^[27]

	5th Place Game Sunday, November 30				Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 28				First Round Thursday, November 27				Semifinals Friday, November 28				Championship Sunday, November 30
									Princeton	56
									UTEP	62
					Princeton	65							UTEP	77
					San Diego	75							Xavier	73
									San Diego	71
									Xavier	82
	San Diego	66															UTEP	65
	Western Michigan	68															Washington	68
									Long Beach State	73
									Western Michigan	55
	7th Place Game				Western Michigan	79							Long Beach State	70			3rd Place Game
					San Jose State	60							Washington	80
	Princeton	69							San Jose State	56							Xavier	70
	San Jose State	54							Washington	78							Long Beach State	73

2013

^[28]

	5th Place Game Sunday, , December 1					Consolation 2nd Round Friday, November 29					First Round Thursday, November 28					Semifinals Friday, November 29					Championship Sunday, December 1
											Miami (FL)		63
											George Washington		71*
						Miami (FL)		48									George Washington	60
						Cal State Fullerton		46								25	Marquette	76
											25	Marquette	86
												Cal State Fullerton	66
	Miami (FL)		60																		25	Marquette	59
	Arizona State		57																			San Diego State	67
											College of Charleston		52
											San Diego State		72
	7th Place Game					College of Charleston		58									San Diego State	86			3rd Place Game
						Arizona State		80								20	Creighton	80
	Cal State Fullerton		48								20	Creighton	88									George Washington	60
	College of Charleston		61									Arizona State	60								20	Creighton	53

References

1. Payne, Terrence (June 4, 2013). "The Wooden Legacy an all new tournament to begin this year". NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013.
2. John R. Wooden Classic Becomes The Wooden Legacy, UCLABruins.com, June 4, 2013
3. Payne, Terrence (June 4, 2013). "The Wooden Legacy an all new tournament to begin this year". NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013.
4. "Wooden Legacy Makes Venue Change for the 2017 & 2018 Events". ESPNevents. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
5. Anonymous, "Hoyas to Participate in Paycom Wooden Legacy in 2020," guhoyas.com, November 26, 2019 4:42:00 PM EST Retrieved March 21, 2020
6. Anonymous, "ESPN cancels college basketball bubble plans in Orlando," The Athletic, October 26, 2020 Accessed March 7, 2021.
7. "Field Revealed for 2021 Paycom Wooden Legacy". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
8. "Wooden Legacy: Late Night Basketball," hoyasaxa.com, July 15, 2021 Accessed 17 July 2021
9. "ESPN EVENTS ANNOUNCES 2024 VEGAS SHOWDOWN MATCHUPS". espnevents.com. May 23, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
10. "VEGAS SHOWDOWN REVEALS BRACKET". espnevents.com. May 5, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
11. "2022-23 Men's College Basketball Early Season Tournaments and Exempt Multi-Team Events (MTEs)". SB Nation. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
12. "2021 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
13. Pierson, Tracy, "Report: UCLA to Face Seton Hall in Wooden Legacy," October 10, 2020 Accessed March 7, 2021
14. "PAC-12 Nixes Sports through Jan. 1 — Wooden Legacy Games Impacted," Casual Hoya, August 11, 2020 Accessed March 7, 2021
15. Borzello, Jeff, "Sources: ESPN moving college basketball events to Wide World of Sports in Orlando," espn.com, September 22, 2020 Accessed March 7, 2021
16. Bruce Pascoe. "Arizona Wildcats will return to Wooden Legacy event in 2019-20". tucson.com. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
17. Myron Medcalf and Byron Borzello (2019-07-11). "Your guide to 13 early-season college basketball tournaments". espn.com. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
18. "2019 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
19. "2018 Wooden Legacy Bracket" (PDF). Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
20. "2018 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
21. "2017 Wooden Legacy Bracket" (PDF). Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
22. "2017 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
23. "2016 Wooden Legacy Bracket" (PDF). Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
24. "2016 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
25. "Wooden Legacy matchups set; Arizona, MSU could meet in final". Retrieved 2015-07-21.
26. "2015 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
27. "2014 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
28. "2013 Wooden Legacy Bracket". Wooden Legacy. ESPNEvents.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.

External links

• Official Site
• Vegas Showdown (ESPNEvents)