Memphis’ Shaq Goodwin named Tournament MVP; 2014 field to feature basketball powers Kansas and Michigan State
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2013)– No. 22 Memphis created some Thanksgiving holiday memories Sunday by knocking off No. 5 Oklahoma State in a thrilling comeback victory to win the Old Spice Classic at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World.
“To win this tournament is very special. I never take a win for granted and I don’t take a championship for granted. They aren’t easy to get,” said Memphis head coach Josh Pastner after the game.
Led by sophomore forward Shaq Goodwin, the Memphis Tigers overcame a 10-point deficit at halftime to upset the Cowboys. The win avenged the Tigers’ 21-point loss to the Cowboys earlier this season in Stillwater, OK, and gave Pastner his first win against an AP Poll Top 25 team in his five seasons at the helm of Memphis.
Memphis overwhelmed Siena (87-60) and powered past LSU (76-69) en route to the championship game on Sunday, Dec. 1.
On the final day of the tournament Sunday, Butler and LSU battled it out for 3rd place, with the Tigers narrowly beating the Bulldogs 70-68 in a thrilling overtime game. St. Joseph’s nabbed 5th place with a win over Washington State, 72-67 and Purdue took 7th place by edging a feisty Sienna team, 68-63.
Memphis boasted two players on the 2013 Old Spice Classic All-Tournament Team – Austin Nichols and Goodwin, who was also the tournament MVP. Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State, Ron Roberts of St. Joseph’s and Kellen Dunham of Butler rounded out the team.
Butler’s Dunham set a tournament record for most points scored in a single game, with 32 points against Washington State in the opening round.
Memphis joins previous Old Spice Classic champions Gonzaga (2012, 2008), Dayton (2011), Notre Dame (2010), Florida State (2009), North Carolina State (2007) and Arkansas (2006).
The lineup for the 2014 Old Spice Classic was released this past weekend and will feature the nation’s top ranked teams (AP Poll, as of Dec. 1, 2013) Michigan State and Kansas, respectively. The field will also include Georgia Tech, Marquette, Rider, Tennessee, Santa Clara and Xavier. The ninth annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Nov. 27, 28 and 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.