June 6, 2007

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State men's basketball team has been slated to meet South Carolina in the first round of the 2007 Old Spice Classic, to be held Thanksgiving weekend at the Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. ESPN Regional Television, Inc. (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, announced the bracket for the tournament this week.

"We are excited to be playing in a top-notch early-season tournament with a strong field of teams that will present a great challenge for our players and coaches," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "It's a terrific tournament in a great location that I think our players and fans will really enjoy it."

The Nittany Lions and Gamecocks will play the opening game of the event on Thursday, Nov. 22 at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2. South Carolina posted a 14-16 record last season under head coach Dave Odom. The winner will face the winner of a first round match-up between North Carolina State and Rider. The eight-team tournament, which runs Nov. 22, 23 and 25, will include 12 games in three days with all games broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPNU. The other four teams in the 2007 Old Spice Classic field include: Central Florida, George Mason, Kansas State and Villanova. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracketed tournament format.

Other first round match-ups include: Central Florida meeting Villanova and Kansas State taking on George Mason. All games on the first day of action will be televised live on ESPN2.

"We feel that these exciting match-ups will add to a first-class experience for college basketball fans attending the event and the many viewers watching on the ESPN networks," said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager of ESPN Regional Television.

The championship game will be played at 6:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Nov. 25, on ESPN2.

Arkansas defeated West Virginia to win the inaugural Old Spice Classic last year.

Penn State returns four starters and its top three scorers and rebounders for 2007-08, including two-time All-Big Ten selection Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, the 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Additional information on the Old Spice Classic can be found at www.oldspiceclassic.com. For more information on Disney's Wide World of Sports visit www.disneysports.com.

Old Spice Tournament Schedule

Thurs., Nov. 22
12 p.m. - South Carolina vs. Penn State - ESPN2
2 p.m. - NC State vs. Rider - ESPN2
7 p.m. - Villanova vs. UCF - ESPN2
9 p.m. - George Mason vs. Kansas St. - ESPN2

Fri., Nov. 23
10:30 a.m. - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser - ESPN2
12:30 p.m. - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner - ESPN2
5:00 p.m. - Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser - ESPN2
7:30 p.m. - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner - ESPNU

Sun., Nov. 25
11:00 a.m. - Game 5 loser vs. Game 8 loser - ESPNU
1:00 p.m. - Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner - ESPNU
4:30 p.m. - Game 6 loser vs. Game 7 loser - ESPN2
6:30 p.m. - Championship Game - ESPN2