Purdue’s PR staff sent out an email this afternoon confirming that Purdue will take part in the eleventh annual Charleston Classic, to be played November 15, 16 & 18 at TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina.
The field of eight is strong and features five teams who played in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
According to preseason rankings on Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports for the upcoming 2018-19 season, Virginia Tech is ranked 13th on both rankings. They look to be an elite team again this season and the team that is likely to play Purdue in the championship game.
Purdue will face Appalachian State in the first round, in a game scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, on ESPN2, on Thursday, November 15.
The other half of the bracket sees Wichita State square off against Davidson.
The two winners will collide on Friday, November 16, in a game tipping off at 6:30 p.m. ET, on ESPNU, in the second semifinal matchup.
The other half of the bracket features Ball State battle Virginia Tech on November 15th at 11:30 a.m. ET. Alabama will face Northeastern on November 15 at 2 p.m. ET.
The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, November 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN2.
Appalachian State is coming off its most successful season under fifth-year head coach Jim Foxey and shows signs of improving their 15-18 overall record last season and a 9-9 mark in the Sun Belt Conference. A big reason for this optimism is due to the fact Appalachian State will return five of their top six scorers from last season.
The Mountaineers are led by 6’5″ guard Ronshad Shabazz, who averaged 18.5 points per game and led the team in 3-pointers made (80) and assists (100).
Justin Forrest had a solid freshman season while averaging 13.5 points per game. He only shot 36% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc, so it will be interesting to see what kind of work he put in this offseason into improving his shooting percentages.
The contest with the Mountaineers will be the second against Appalachian State in school history, with Purdue escaping victorious 79-65 in Mackey Arena on December 2, 2000.
Prior to the Charleston Classic, Purdue will host Marian Univesity on November 1st, Fairfield on November 6th and Ball State, another team in the Charleston Classic, on November 10th.