FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 9, 2016
2016 CIT Names Grand Canyon University Host of
the Inaugural Coach John McLendon Classic –
“This Game is No Secret”
MARCH 9, 2016, BOSTON – Today, CollegeInsider.com is announcing they have named
Grand Canyon University (GCU) (www.gcu.edu) as host of the inaugural Coach John
McLendon Classic – “This Game is No Secret” – tipping off on March 14th in Phoenix,
Arizona. Broadcasting live on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. PST),
the Coach John McLendon Classic will be a first round game in the 2016 CollegeInsider.com
Postseason Tournament (CIT) between Grand Canyon University (25-6) and one
Historically Black College or University (HBCU) who will play to advance to the second round of
the CIT.
"We are very excited to be a part of the CIT for the third consecutive season and in particular our
involvement in the Coach John McLendon Classic,” said Grand Canyon University Men’s
Basketball Head Coach, Dan Majerle. “Coach McLendon is a legendary figure in our sport
and GCU is honored to participate in the inaugural game recognizing all that he did."
Serving as a celebration of historically black colleges and universities and their rich basketball
tradition, the Coach John McLendon Classic will pay tribute to Coach McLendon and the legacy
of some of the great pioneers of the game. All players participating in the Coach John McLendon
Classic will wear shirts that have “This Game is No Secret” written on the back of them in
honor of “The Secret Game” organized by Coach McLendon and its significant impact in
sports history, an early step towards integrating collegiate sports. At the conclusion of the game,
there will be a trophy presented to the winning team and the Most Valuable Player will receive
an award.
"We are thrilled to have Grand Canyon University serve as the host for the inaugural Coach John
McLendon Classic,” commented Angela Lento, Vice President, College Insider.com,
Inc. “Dan Majerle's team has had an outstanding season and they will have a chance to show a
national audience their great arena and outstanding fan support. It will be a tremendous
atmosphere for this important game."
From a secret game during Sunday morning church service to the first classic included in a
postseason tournament, McLendon’s legacy has made a profound impact on the game of
basketball. McLendon pioneered and refined up-tempo pacing and the fast break offense at
several historically black colleges and universities before taking them to the pros as the first
African American head coach in professional sports. Even in their infancy, McLendon’s
strategies and coaching prowess were second to none.
-more-
McLendon, a trailblazer on the court, employed a similar style off the court. In 1944, Jim Crow
laws did not allow integrated sports but McLendon knew that his team at the North Carolina
College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central) was a juggernaut and wanted a chance to
prove it so he sought out the best all-white team in North Carolina. He didn’t have to go very far
to find them. A group of former college basketball stars, far superior to Duke’s varsity squad,
had gathered at Duke’s medical school, enrolled in the Army and Navy WWII medical training
programs. McLendon organized a game against the all-white team on a Sunday morning, March
12th, when most of Durham – including the police force – would be attending church. After a
nervous start, McLendon’s team drubbed their counterparts from Duke, 88-44, in what has
become known as “The Secret Game,” a stepping stone to integrating collegiate sports.
"The Coach John McLendon Classic will help showcase both the past and the present,” added
Angela Lento of CollegeInsider.com. “The game will feature some of the outstanding
teams, coaches and players in the game today. It will also help bring attention to some of the
greatest teams, greatest players and greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. Coach
McLendon is without question one of the best to ever coach. Hopefully this game will bring more
attention to his incredible legacy."
Following 2016, the Coach John McLendon Classic will be a permanent part of the CIT held
annually during the nation’s premier postseason tournament for teams that do not participate in
the NCAA Basketball Championships or the NIT Tournament. The Coach John McLendon
Classic will pay homage to legendary African American coaches such as Coach McLendon,
former Southern coach Ben Jobe and former Winston Salem State coach Clarence “Big House”
Gaines; all great men whose role in growing the game is often overlooked.
The CIT was created by CollegeInsider.com in 2009 in order to give deserving teams an
opportunity to participate in the postseason. Since then, the CIT has had more schools make
their postseason debut (25) and more programs win their first-ever postseason game (24) than
all other tournaments combined. In addition, the CIT has produced three NBA Lottery picks
and two Top 10 selections including Damian Lillard (6th overall in 2012) who was named 2012
NBA Rookie of the Year which marked the first time since 1955 that a tournament other than the
NCAA
Tournament
had
produced
the
NBA
Rookie
of
the
Year.
In 2012, CollegeInsider.com established the John McLendon award which is presented annually
to the top coach at all levels of college basketball. The award encompasses Division I, Division II,
Division III, NAIA and JUCO.
CollegeInsider.com was founded in 1996 with their online coverage dedicated exclusively to
college basketball. In 1998, CollegeInsider.com created the Mid-Major Top 25 that has become
the measuring stick for teams outside the power conferences and is now trademarked. Each
year, CollegeInsider.com presents 17 national awards in basketball named after some of the
greatest coaches in the history of the game including Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Lou Henson,
John McLendon and Lute Olson. Since the inception of the CIT in 2009, the tournament has
expanded from 16-teams to 32-teams in 2012 which is currently the number of teams playing in
the 2016 CIT. CollegeInsider.com has been nominated for four Emmy Awards and in 2013 won
the New York Emmy Award in Sports Coverage for the Sportscast/Series category and was
selected over top broadcast outlets such as MSG and SNY.
For more information
www.collegeinsider.com.
on
the
2016
CIT
###
and
the
Coach
John
McLendon
visit
CIT Tournament Schedule:
FIRST ROUND: March 14-16
SECOND ROUND: March 18-20
QUARTERFINALS: March 22-24
SEMIFINALS: March 27
CHAMPIONSHIP: March 29
Contacts:
Media Inquiries
npm | pr
Natalie Mikolich
[email protected]
561-451-5015