Barclays Center announces tourney

Barclays Center management is wasting no time trying to become a premier venue for events in America. Basketball will especially be a main attraction for the Brooklyn arena.

Already beaming from its announcement to host the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2013, the Barclays Center took it a step further Wednesday when it announced it would host the inaugural Barclays Center Classic Tournament.

Headlining the tournament, set for November 9, 2012, will be Kentucky and Maryland. It will be the first college basketball game played at the Barclays Center. The classic will also feature a local college attraction in LIU. The Blackbirds will play Morehead State.

The games will be carried on ESPN.

“I wanted Kentucky to play in the first college basketball game at Barclays Center because I know what a big-time venue it will be,” said Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari. “I’m excited for our players to experience Brooklyn, one of the most historic places for basketball, and to play in what will be an incredible atmosphere at Barclays Center.”

The Barclays Center Classic will be the first of two regular-seaosn tournaments to be played in November 2012, as the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will also play its games there.

“We are thrilled to launch the Barclays Center Classic and deliver to Brooklyn an exciting match-up between two storied college basketball programs, Kentucky and Maryland,” said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. “We are excited for ESPN to broadcast the game and introduce the world-class Barclays Center to college basketball fans throughout the country. Basketball has a rich history in Brooklyn and we plan to make Barclays Center a significant national collegiate sports venue.”

Yormark couldn't have said it any better. Hosting some of the biggest college basketball programs in the heart of downtown Brooklyn on national television will put New York Metro-area basketball back in the spotlight.