Kansas State to Play Arkansas in 2021 Hall of Fame Classic
Kansas State will play Arkansas in the 2021 Hall of Fame Classic, slated for Nov. 22-23 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
This will mark the first meeting between Kansas State and Arkansas in 30 years, and it will take place at 8 p.m. CST on Nov. 22. The game of the classic will be between Cincinnati and Illinois at 5:30 p.m. CST. The winners will play each other on Nov. 23 at 8:30 p.m. CST.
The two-day tournament is part of Kansas City’s Hall of Fame Weekend, which also includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 induction celebration.
The Wildcats, who are coming off their second straight losing season but have 10 returning letterwinners, along with five newcomers, will have a tough road if they’re to win the Classic in their third appearance.
Arkansas reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati only won 12 games last year, but reached the finals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Bearcats are breaking in a new coach in Wes Miller, who most recently was at UNC-Greensboro.
The Wildcats have played in this event on two previous occasions, in 2010 and 2015. In 2010, the Wildcats defeated Gonzaga before losing to Duke in the championship game. In 2015, the Wildcats started that even with a win over Missouri before a loss to North Carolina.
K-State has met each of the three schools at least eight times in their history. The Wildcats own an 8-3 advantage against the Razorbacks but trail the series with the Bearcats (1-7) and Fighting Illini (2-8).
Big 12 teams have won the Hall of Fame Classic nine times in its 20-year history, including four times in the last five seasons. TCU won the 2020 edition of the tournament, knocking off Tulsa and Liberty.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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