Aug. 4, 2009
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech will face Dayton in its first-round game in the 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off, to be held Nov. 19, 20 and 22 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in the cosmopolitan Hato Rey district of San Juan. Nine of the 12 games will be televised live nationally on ESPNU and ESPN2.
Tech and Dayton will tip-off at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, Nov. 19 (no TV). In the other first-round action, George Mason will face Villanova on Tech’s side of the bracket; Indiana will meet Ole Miss; and Boston University will square off with Kansas State. ESPN Regional Television, Inc. (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, announced the bracket Wednesday.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off is the third early-season tournament in four years for Georgia Tech outside the mainland of the United States. The Yellow Jackets reached the championship game of the Maui Invitational in 2006, and captured third place in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2007.
Tech’s second-round game in Puerto Rico will be Friday, Nov. 20 against either George Mason or Villanova, either at 1 p.m. if it defeats Dayton or 3 p.m. if it loses. Both games will be televised on ESPNU. Third-round games, including the championship contest will be played Sunday, Nov. 22. Saturday, Nov. 21, is a day off for all eight teams.
Four of the eight participating teams reached the 2008-09 postseason. Villanova and Dayton played in the NCAA Tournament, with the Wildcats reaching the Final Four and the Flyers advancing to the second round. George Mason and Kansas State played in the National Invitation Tournament.
The Yellow Jackets and Flyers have met only once before, in 1977, a 65-63 win for Dayton on its home court. Tech has never met George Mason, and has a 3-0 series mark against Villanova.
Note — Tech’s complete 2009-10 schedule will be announced later in August.
The 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off will feature 12 games through three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game Sunday, Nov. 22, live on ESPN2.
Last season, Xavier took home the 2008 Puerto Rico Tip-Off trophy, defeating Memphis 63-58 in the championship game. Both teams went on to be nationally ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll throughout most of the 2008-09 season, with Memphis finishing the regular season ranked No. 2.
Fans can purchase Official Puerto Rico Tip-Off Spectator Packages, which include game tickets and official team hotel accommodations, by visiting www.AnthonyTravel.com (search Puerto Rico) or by calling 1-888-632-6951. Additional event information can be found at the event’s official Web site: www.PuertoRicoTipOff.com.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU Tournament Schedule
(Home team listed second; Villanova will be home team in each of its games)
Date Time (ET) Game NetworkThu, Nov 19 11:30 a.m. Dayton vs. Georgia Tech 2 p.m. George Mason vs. Villanova ESPNU 5 p.m. Indiana vs. Ole Miss ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Boston University vs. Kansas StateFri, Nov 20 1 p.m. Game 5 ESPNU 3 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU 6 p.m. Game 7 8:30 p.m. Game 8 ESPNUSun, Nov 22 10:30 a.m. Game 9 ESPNU 12:30 p.m. Game 10 ESPNU 5:30 p.m. Game 11 ESPNU 8 p.m. Game 12 (Championship Game) ESPN2
