WSU Basketball: Cougs Will Begin Thanksgiving’s “Old Spice Classic” Against Butler Bulldogs on ESPN2

Feb 19, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler Bulldogs mascot Trip stands on the court during a timeout in a game against the Duquesne Dukes at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler defeats Duquesne 68-49. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington State basketball team is still putting together its’ schedule, but we do know now that they will be part of the “Old Spice Classic”, an annual early-season bracket-style tournament held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the area of Orlando, FL.

Game 1 for WSU will pit them against the Bulldogs of Butler University, who will be making its’ transition into the new Big East lineup for the 2013/2014 season. Butler is also in full transition in coaching staff, after Brad Stevens jumped to the big leagues by taking the Boston Celtics’ head position earlier this month. The replacement for Stevens is another young-gun and also a Butler graduate, Brandon Miller.

The last time Washington State and Butler hooked up was in 2010, when the Bulldogs ran away from the Cougs 84-68 in the consolation game of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.

Here’s the Thanksgiving tournament’s game lineup:

2013 OLD SPICE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
HP FIELD HOUSE AT ESPN WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX

Thursday, Nov. 28
Purdue vs. Oklahoma State (ESPN2), 9 a.m. PT (noon ET)
Butler vs. Washington State (ESPN2), 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET)
Memphis vs. Siena (ESPN2), 3:30 p.m. PT (6:30 p.m. ET)
LSU vs. Saint Joseph’s (ESPN2), 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)

Friday, Nov. 29
Consolation #1 (ESPNU), 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET)
Semifinal #1 (ESPN), 10:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. ET)
Semifinal #2 (ESPN2), 2:30 p.m. PT (5:30 p.m. ET)
Consolation #2 (ESPNU), 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET)

Sunday, Dec. 1
Fifth-place Game (ESPNU), 9 a.m. PT (noon ET)
Third-place Game (ESPNU), 11a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET)
Seventh-place Game (ESPN3), 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET)
Championship Game (ESPN2), 4:30 PT (7:30 p.m. ET)

As you can see, each team is guaranteed 3 games and the Cougs will be playing early morning on Thanksgiving Day Thursday and then win or lose they’ll play early on Friday as well. That development should give us time to watch the basketball team Friday with our turkey leftovers for breakfast and then prepare for the all important Apple Cup football matchup later in the day (time yet tbd).

For me personally that means waking up in the hotel in Seattle and turning on the game before heading over to new Husky Stadium for the festivities with my family… Several thousand of them! Can’t wait.

Go Cougs!