ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS --- The Tusculum University men's basketball team will be participating in the YES US Virgin Islands Classic, which will be held Dec. 31, 2022 - Jan. 2, 2023.
Tusculum was originally scheduled to open tournament play this Saturday morning against Livingstone College. But due to one of Livingstone student-athletes being killed in an automobile accident last Monday, the Blue Bears have removed themselves from the tournament.
Fisk University has also removed itself from the tournament due to travel issues involving its student-athletes returning home from the holidays because of the national Southwest Airlines flight cancellation crisis.
Tusculum (5-4) is one of six colleges and universities participating in the event including: Clinton College, Edward Waters University, Kentucky State University, Virginia State University and West Virginia State University.
Tusculum and Kentucky State, who were originally scheduled to play Livingstone and Fisk, respectively, will both move onto Sunday's semifinal round. The Pioneers will face the winner of Saturday's Virginia State / Edward Waters game on Sunday at 10:15 a.m.
The semifinal winners will advance to Monday's championship game while the losers will play in Monday's consolation final. All games will be played at the picturesque Antilles School in St. Thomas.
Live video streaming of games will be available at a cost of $4.99 per day and is available at: https://yesviclassic.booktix.com.
The tournament hosts, Young Entrepreneurz Solutions (YES), is a 501(c)(3) organization specializing in teaching middle and high school aged youth the foundations of entrepreneurship and economic development across the US and the Caribbean. Former Rutgers University award-winning adjunct professor Ernest Ruffin, Jr. founded the organization with the intent to give young people in underserved communities the tools to succeed in business and create economic opportunities for themselves and their respective communities. Ruffin's organization boasts nearly 2,500 students who actively participate in YES Business Plan Challenges to prepare them for future entrepreneurial success.
Updated Tournament Bracket
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Game 1: West Virginia St. vs Clinton, 8 a.m. ET
Game 2: Edward Waters vs Virginia St., 10:15 a.m. ET
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Game 3: Kentucky St. vs West Virginia St. / Clinton winner, 8 a.m. ET
Game 4: Tusculum vs Edward Waters vs Virginia St. winner, 10:15 a.m. ET
Game 5: Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser, 12:30 p.m. ET
Monday, January 2, 2023
Game 6: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser, 8 a.m. ET
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner, 10:15 ET (Championship Game)
