Penn State men’s basketball will participate in the 2019 Charleston Classic, a three-day, eight-team tournament in South Carolina, against some high-level competition. The tournament tip off on November 21, 2019 and runs through November 24, 2019.

Pat Chambers’ program will take on the likes of UConn, Florida, Miami (FL), St. Joseph’s, Xavier, Towson, and Missouri State in the regular season tournament. Three of the eight teams slated to play in next season’s tournament qualified for last year’s NCAA tournament — Xavier was one of four top seeds, while the Gators and Hurricanes each checked in as a No. 6 seed in their respective regions.

Perennial power Villanova won this tournament two seasons ago, so this is a step in the right direction for the Nittany Lions. Penn State faces solid competition in this tournament and can try to solidify itself as a national contender with a strong performance, as Pat Chambers and the rest of his squad are poised to continue the climb. 

The Nittany Lions will play in the Cancun Challenge next week and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Challenge in December, but won’t play in any other out-of-conference events before beginning conference play. Penn State will tip off against Wright State at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and take on either Bradley or SMU on Wednesday.