The eight schools that will participate in November's Philly Classic, a weekend exempt tournament to take place at the Palestra, were disclosed yesterday, with two power-conference teams highlighting the lineup.
Penn will face Virginia on Friday, Nov. 23, and Seton Hall plays Navy the same day. Also in the field are Drexel, Robert Morris, Loyola (Md.) and Howard, the Philadelphia Daily News reported yesterday.
Each team will play a total of four games - the first two at campus sites, the final two, on Thanksgiving weekend, at the Palestra, where the winners and losers of Friday's doubleheaders advance to face each other the next day.
As an exempt tournament, the entire slate will only count as one game towards each team's NCAA-imposed limit of 29. The Hoop Group, which organizes countless instructional clinics along the Eastern Seaboard, spearheaded the tournament.
The Cavaliers and the Pirates will get both of their early games at home; Robert Morris and Howard will play both on the road; the remaining teams play one-and-one. The Quakers visit Loyola on Nov. 11 and host Howard, coached by 16-year Penn veteran Gil Jackson, on the 17th.
The president of the hoop group has said that he wants the future editions of the Philly Classic to be hosted by different Philadelphia schools each year.
The Quakers have never played Loyola or Howard before; they own a 5-7 mark against Virginia with the last meeting a 68-74 Quakers home loss in 1992 and a 1-2 record against Seton Hall.
