The field is set for the 2023
Asheville Championship [3] men’s college basketball tournament. Clemson
[4], Davidson [5], Maryland [6] and UAB [7] will go head-to-head Nov. 10
-12, 2023 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville [8] in the third
year of the early-season tournament. With a combined 73 NCAA Tournament
appearances, these four programs each bring proven successes and storied
pasts to the table, making this year’s field the strongest yet.
North Carolina legend and Asheville native Coach Roy Williams is the
official ambassador of the Asheville Championship. Williams is dedicated
to helping grow and expand the event to become a premier early-season
championship featuring top basketball programs from across the country.
Coach Dave Odom will once again serve as the official Chair of the
Asheville Championship. The former National Coach of the Year and
three-time Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year at Wake Forest
has overseen tournament relations for the Asheville Championship since
its inception, and the Maui Jim Maui Invitational since 2009.
“In the two years that we’ve come to Asheville to kick-off the college
basketball season with the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’ve
brought new fans, stronger programs and more excitement each time,” said
Odom. “The Championship has also started gaining a reputation for
buzzer-beater finishes, and with the field of teams we have coming ready
to battle it out, this year could be our best one yet.”
Clemson is led by head Coach Brad Brownell who is heading into his 14th
season with the Tigers. Clemson has reached the postseason in five of
the last seven years. The Tigers finished the 2022-23 season with a
23-11 record, their fifth 20-win season under Brownell, and placed third
in the final ACC standings with a 14-6 conference record.
Davidson (15 NCAA Tournament appearances) will be under the direction of
second-year head Coach Matt McKillop, son of Bob McKillop who had
previously led the Wildcats for 33 years. The younger McKillop was a
standout for Davidson from 2002-06 before returning to his alma mater as
part of the coaching staff where he has served since 2008.
Maryland heads to Asheville with 30 NCAA Tournament appearances and a
National Championship (2002) under its belt. Led by head Coach Kevin
Williard, the Terrapins earned four victories over ranked opponents this
year, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Willard
put together one of the best records by a coach in his first year at a
new program as the Terps finished the 2022-23 season with a 22-13
record.
UAB’s Andy Kennedy has produced a 20-win season in all three years since
he took over the Blazers program, going 22-7 in his first year, 27-8 in
his second year along with winning the Conference USA Championship and
finishing the 2022-23 season with a 29-10 record as the NIT runner-ups.
The Blazers punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and have
made 15 total NCAA Tournament appearances in the program’s history.
The Asheville Championship is earning a reputation for its
down-to-the-minute finishes, with Minnesota securing the inaugural title
in 2021 with a double overtime victory over Princeton, and Louisiana
taking home the trophy in 2022 after defeating East Tennessee State by
just four points.
Tickets for the general public will go on sale starting April 17, 2023
and can be purchased at ashevillechampionship.com