O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic

Teams Announced For Trip To Kansas City

2009-03-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Texas, Pittsburgh, Wichita State and Iowa will tip-off the season in the 2009 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. All four schools will host Regional Round games before automatically advancing to the Championship Rounds at Sprint Center in Kansas City.

TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round tickets at Sprint Center go on sale Wednesday, March 18th at 10:00 AM CT and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000 or through Ticketmaster.com.

Wichita State has secured a block of tickets for Shocker fans planning to travel to Kansas City. Tickets will be made available early this summer, and those fans are encouraged to purchase through the Shocker Ticket Office by calling (316) 978-3267, or online at www.GoShockers.com.

Format
- The event includes a 12-team field and will tip-off November 15-18 at the four regional sites (Texas, Pittsburgh, Wichita State & Iowa). Championship Round games will be played on November 23 & 24 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

- The four regional hosts will play two games at home and automatically advance to the Championship Rounds in Kansas City, regardless of Regional Round results.

- All other participants will automatically advance to play a round-robin series at one of two other sub-regional sites. Thus, every participating team will be guaranteed four games.

- Match-ups for the Championship Rounds, as well as the other teams participating in the event will be announced at a later date.

The Hosts

Texas... has a 22-11 record this season and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have only two seniors on their current roster and will bring in what is currently rated as the #2 recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN.com.

Pittsburgh... has been the #1 team in the country for a total of three weeks this season and enter the NCAA Tournament as a #1 Seed with a 28-4 record. The Panthers also will have a "Top 15" recruting class coming in for 2009-10.

Wichita State... had six wins against the RPI Top 100, winning 10 of their last 15 games and earning a berth in the College Basketball Invitational. Wichita State will return four starters next season, including Toure' Murry, a member of the MVC All-Freshman team, and Clevin Hannah, who made the MVC All-Newcomer team.

Iowa... also had six victories over RPI Top 100 RPI. The Hawkeyes will return four starters in 2009-10, including guards Jake Kelly (Honorable Mention All-Big Ten) and Matt Gatens (All-Freshman Team).

In the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Championship Game, Syracuse defeated Kansas, 89-81 in overtime, rallying from 13 points down in the second half. The Orange have gone on to a 26-9 record and have been among the Top 25 teams in the country for most of the season and earned a #3 Seed in the NCAA Tournament

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States, serving both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Founded in 1957 by the O'Reilly family, the Company operated 3,285 stores in 38 states, as of December 31, 2008. Additional information about the Company, customer services and on-line shopping for parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories can be found at the Company's website at www.oreillyauto.com.

The event is named after the College Basketball Experience, the award-winning and highly interactive college hoops fan facility adjacent to Sprint Center arena, which also features the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The College Basketball Experience is the nation's only facility that celebrates, in its entirety, the sport of men's collegiate basketball. Currently in its second year of operation, the College Basketball Experience has played host to over 160,000 enthusiastic fans and visitors since its opening. The tournament, in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), was initially established in 2001 as the Guardians Classic.

The O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production/management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally recognized events, such as the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, the Legends Classic and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on The Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.

For more information on the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, visit CBEClassic.com.

SYRACUSE WINS AN OT THRILLER

2008-12-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Syracuse (5-0) rallied back from a 13-point deficit in the second half and outscored defending national champion Kansas, 17-9, in overtime to defeat the Jayhawks, 89-81, and win the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic on Tuesday at the Sprint Center. Jonny Flynn scored a game-high 25 points in the contest, including 17 in the second half.

The Orange found itself down 13 points, 51-38, just five muntes into the second half. However, just when it looked like the Jayhawks (3-1) would put the game out of reach, Syracuse found its rhythm. A 16-4 run knotted the game at 54-54. Paul Harris and Flynn combined for 12 of SU’s points during the stretch and a Harris free throw tied the contest with 10:09 to play.

A big reason for the Orange’s turnaround was the play of its defense. Head coach Jim Boeheim scrapped the 2-3 zone in favor of a pressure man-to-man set and Syracuse forced turnovers on three straight Kansas possessions that resulted in transition baskets during the critical scoring spurt.

Sherron Collins led the Jayhawks with 21 points. Cole Aldrich and Markieff Morris each recorded double-doubles. Aldrich had 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Morris finished with 11 points and 11 boards.

JAYHAWKS, ORANGE MEET IN FINAL

2008-11-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

#23 Kansas and Syracuse won their semi-final matchups on Monday in the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. They will meet on Tuesday at 10:00 PM in the Championship Game on ESPN2.

Syracuse advanced with an 89-83 win over Florida. Paul Harris led the Orange with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jonny Flynn also scored 18 points for Syracuse (4-0).

The Jayhawks had four players in double-figures in a 73-54 win over Washington. Kansas (3-0) held the Huskies to 29% shooting in the game. Sherron Collins led the Jayhawks with 18 points, while Cole Aldrich added 16 points and nine rebounds

Teams Set For Kansas City

2008-11-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

The final four in the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic are in Kansas City getting ready for tomorrow night's semifinals.

In the first game, you have Syracuse against #19 Florida. Talk about a contrast in the coaches. Jim Boeheim is in his 33rd season at his alma mater and is closing in on 800 career wins. Billy Donovan is in his 13th year at Florida and already has two national titles on his resume. Guard play will be a big part of this matchup. Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf for the Orange against Nick Calathes for Florida... and that is just the first game.

The defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks, ranked 23rd, hit the court in the second game against Washington. The Jayhawks have played well with Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich being the keys early in the season. Washington has good guard play, but everyone first talks about Jon Brockman, who was one of two players in the Pac 10 last year to average a double-double.

Games are on ESPN 2 on Monday night beginning at 7:30 ET.

The 3rd Place Game is on ESPNU on Tuesday night at 7:45 ET, followed by the Championship Game at around 10:15 ET on ESPN 2.

Knight To Do Jayhawks Game At O'Reilly Auto Parts Classic

2008-11-11T11:03:00.001-08:00

Hall of Famer Bob Knight is going to see the defending National Champions up close and personal. He will be in Kansas City to work games for ESPN in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.

He will be working the game as the color analyst on the Kansas/Washington game on November 24th and the 3rd Place Game on November 25th.

Good addition by ESPN to an already strong broadcast crew of Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Doris Burke.

Get Inside The O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic

2008-11-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

So the Gazelle Group has put up the Media Notes for the tournament. Take a look...

http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/cbe/media/cbemedianotes08.pdf

Jayhawks, Gators Among First "Top 25" Poll

2008-10-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

If the early polls mean anything, the CBE Classic this year is going to be a great show.

Of the four teams coming to Sprint Center for the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, two are in the first ESPN/ USA Today Top 25 poll for the year and the other two "received votes".

The defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks come in 23rd, in part because they lost all five of their starters. But Head Coach Bill Self has brought in a fantastic recruiting class, including the Morris twins out of New Jersey. Those freshmen will get a chance how good they can be early on with games against Washington and either Syracuse or Florida in the CBE.

Florida returns a couple of starters, including SEC "Freshman of the Year" Nick Calathes, and are ranked 19th in the first poll. Calathes broke several Freshman records last year and helped the Gators into the NIT. Florida is two years removed from their back-to-back national titles, so it will be interesting to watch Billy Donovan's team this year.

BTW... Syracuse and Washington were both in the "Others Receiving Votes" category, so you will have four of the top 40 teams in the country coming to Kansas City.

Here is the entire list...

1. North Carolina (31) 0-0 775
2. Connecticut 0-0 707
3. Louisville 0-0 694
4. UCLA 0-0 650
5. Duke 0-0 578
6. Pittsburgh 0-0 576
7. Michigan State 0-0 572
8. Texas 0-0 538
9. Notre Dame 0-0 525
10. Purdue 0-0 465
11. Gonzaga 0-0 437
12. Memphis 0-0 425
13. Tennessee 0-0 408
14. Oklahoma 0-0 387
15. Arizona State 0-0 304
16. Miami (FL) 0-0 233
17. Marquette 0-0 219
18. Georgetown 0-0 175
19. Florida 0-0 161
20. Davidson 0-0 158
21. USC 0-0 153
21. Wisconsin 0-0 153
23. Kansas 0-0 130
24. Wake Forest 0-0 129
25. Villanova 0-0 122
Others Receiving VotesUNLV 60, Saint Mary's 59, Ohio State 54, Baylor 47, Xavier 27, Syracuse 23, Texas A&M 19, LSU 19, Arizona 18, Virginia Tech 15, Brigham Young 13, West Virginia 10, Washington 8, Siena 8, Kentucky 7, Vanderbilt 7, Oklahoma State 4, Clemson 2, Washington State 1.

BOEHEIM... A TABLE TENNIS MASTER?

2008-10-16T07:15:00.001-07:00

Another great idea by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim to raise money for the Coaches vs. Cancer program. An NBA exhibition game is being held at the Carrier Dome and during the game fans can take on members of the Syracuse Men's and Women's Basketball teams in table tennis.

For those of you who have never been to the Carrier Dome, the court is on one half of the stadium with a large food court and giant TV screen on the other half.

But the big event will come at halftime right at center court...

At halftime, Coach Boeheim has agreed to take on a member of the crowd in a
one-on-one table-tennis exhibition. For every point Coach Boeheim scores, $75
will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer. For every point his opponent gets, $150
will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer.

Boeheim must be pretty good if he is willing to take on someone in front of 15,000 fans. That's like trying to make a putt in the Ryder Cup.

Syracuse Coach Heads To Capitol Hill

2008-09-30T06:15:00.001-07:00

Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim was in Washington, DC last week with other college college coaches to meet with lawmakers and advocate increased cancer research.

Boeheim and the group congregated with several members of Congress and Dr. John Seffrin, the CEO of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. They participated in a press conference to advocate for increased cancer research and funding from the federal government and also shared their own personal cancer stories. They spoke to a group of assembled media, as well as over 400 volunteers from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, who were on Capitol Hill that day to lobby their own members of Congress.

Coach Boeheim was joined by Connecticut's Jim Calhoun, Alabama's Mark Gottfried, Maryland's Gary Williams and Temple's Fran Dunphy.

To read more, visit http://www.suathletics.com/News/basketball/mbasket/2008/9/25/BoeheimDC9.24.08.asp?path=mbasket

JAYHAWKS GET THEIR RINGS

2008-09-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

The National Champion Kansas Jayhawks got their hardware for the hard work last season, getting the National Champion rings in a private ceremony on campus last Friday.

"It was a pretty good evening that was special for our guys," Kansas Head Coach Bill Self said of the ceremony which had a capacity crowd of approximately 100 in the Naismith Room at Allen Fieldhouse. "It was a very appreciative group of people tonight that were able to get their rings."

All but three of the 17-member 2007-08 roster was present. Guard Russell Robinson and center Sasha Kaun are playing professionally overseas and forward Darrell Arthur had commitments with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Jayhawks will open defense of their national title in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic on Novenber 16th against a yet-to-be-announced opponent. Kansas will play the Washington Huskies in the Championship Rounds at Sprint Center in Kansas City on November 24th. The other semi-final is Syracuse against Florida.

To read more, visit kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/092008aaa.html.

NCAA Champs Kansas Highlight CBE Classic

2008-09-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Defending National Champion Kansas, Syracuse, Florida and Washington are the regional hosts for the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. This year's event includes a 12-team field and will tip-off November 14-20 at the four regional sites. The CBE Classic will culminate with the Championship Rounds on November 24 & 25 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. First and second round matchups will be announced at a later date.

This year, the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic will be played under a new format...

- Regional hosts automatically advance to the Championship Rounds in Kansas City regardless of the regional results.
- All other participants will advance to play a round-robin series at one of two other sites. Thus, every participating team will be guaranteed four games.

TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round tickets at Sprint Center go on sale Friday, September 19th at 10:00 AM CT and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 816.931.3330 or through Ticketmaster.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS

Semi-Final Doubleheader
(November 24 - 7:30 ET)
Syracuse vs. Florida- ESPN2
Kansas vs Washington- ESPN2

Championship Doubleheader
(November 25 - 7:45 ET)
Consolation Game- ESPNU
Championship Game- ESPN2

Kansas, coming off their fifth National Championship, brings in a top-rated recruiting class.

Syracuse has qualified for the post-season every year since 1993, including the 2003 National Championship... an 81-78 win over the Kansas Jayhawks.

Florida is two years removed from back-to-back national championships and returns four starters from last year's squad.

Washington returns three starters from last year and has earned a post-season berth in four of the last five years, including back-to-back appearances in the "Sweet 16" (2005, 2006).

In the 2007 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Championship Game, UCLA beat Michigan State, 68-63, as Kevin Love, the tournament MVP and a First Team All-American, led the Bruins with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States, serving both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Founded in 1957 by the O'Reilly family, the Company operated 3,267 stores in 38 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, as of July 31, 2008. Additional information about the Company, customer services and on-line shopping for parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories can be found at the Company's website at www.oreillyauto.com.

The event is named after the College Basketball Experience, a highly interactive college hoops fan facility that opened October 17, 2007 and features the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The College Basketball Experience is the nation's only facility that celebrates, in its entirety, the sport of men's collegiate basketball. In its first year of operation, the College Basketball Experience played host to over 100,000 visitors. The tournament was initially established in 2001 as the Guardians Classic, in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

The O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production/management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally recognized events, such as the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, the Legends Classic and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on The Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.

For more information on the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, visit CBEClassic.com.

Welcome to the Official CBE Blog

2008-08-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new blog for the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. We are excited to bring this to you. This blog will have all of the latest information about the upcoming tournament.

The 2008 O’Reilly Auto Parts Classic will get underway with regional action at four sites (November 16-19) with the Championship Round games at Sprint Center (November 24^th & 25^th) in Kansas City. And don’t forget, you can follow all of the action at http://www.cbeclassic.com/.

As part of the weekend’s events, seven coaches, players and contributors will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Those seven are…

Charles Barkley- former Auburn Tiger & Naismith Hall of Fame member
Arnie Ferrin- four-time All-American at University of Utah
Danny Manning- Kansas all-time leading scorer
Billy Packer- former Wake Forest guard & CBS College Basketball analyst
Jim Phelan- former Mt. St. Mary’s head coach (830 career wins)
Nolan Richardson- former Arkansas head coach
Dick Vitale- ESPN analyst

And if you look back, there is a lot of history in college basketball with those seven gentlemen.

Those ceremonies will take place Sunday, November 23^rd, the day before the championship rounds of the CBE Classic.