RIVERSIDE --- California Baptist University's men's basketball team will host the Subregional of the 2K Empire Classic, benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project on Nov. 22-23 in the CBU Events Center.

The Lancers kicked off the 2K Empire Classic with a pair of road games against Texas on Nov. 12 and Cal on Nov. 15. Both Texas and Cal will play against Duke and Georgetown in a four-team field at Madison Square Garden for the Championship Rounds on Nov. 21-22.

Coach Rick Croy and his team will welcome three first-time opponents in Central Arkansas, Georgia State, and Prairie View A&M. Prairie View A&M was in the same pod as the Lancers taking on Texas and Cal, while Central Arkansas and Georgia State were put together in the regional rounds with Duke and Georgetown.

First played in 1995, the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project is acclaimed as college basketball's premier early-season tournament. Featuring teams from across the nation, the Empire Classic annually attracts the top programs in the sport. Four teams from the most prestigious conferences in the country host a pair of games at home in addition to playing the Championship Rounds at the World's Most Famous Arena – New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The Wounded Warrior Project is the beneficiary of the Empire Classic. With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, WWP is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they adjust to their new normal and achieve new triumphs. Offering a variety of programs and services, WWP is equipped to serve warriors with every type of injury - from the physical to the invisible wounds of war. The WWP was created in 2002 to honor and empower wounded warriors returning from war. WWP's mission is to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

The Empire Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the Legends Classic, the Gotham Classic, the Sunshine Slam, and the College Basketball Invitational. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.

The two-day tournament will start on Friday, Nov. 22, with Georgia State taking on Prairie View A&M at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Lancers hosting Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. CBU will play in both the 7 p.m. games over the weekend regardless if they win or lose on Friday. The tournament will be played as a winner-winner, loser-loser format.

GAME INFORMATION
Team: California Baptist vs. Central Arkansas
Date: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: CBU Events Center
Watch: FloHoops
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Fox Sports AM 1350 | iHeartRadio App
Lancer Live Tip-Off Show at 6:40 p.m. (PST)

The University of Central Arkansas Bears were picked to finish fifth in the Southland Conference this year in the preseason men's basketball coaches' poll. The Bears are coming off their third-straight trip to the SLC Tournament and return four of their five starters from the 2018-19 season. DeAndre Jones and Hayden Koval were both picked as preseason All-SLC selections.

Notables:

• UCA was in the pod with Georgia State, where the Bears fell to RV Georgetown (89-78) and No. 2 Duke (105-54).
• The Bears have three players scoring in double figures: Eddy Kayouloud (12.4), Rylan Bergersen (11.8), and Hayden Koval (11.0).
• Both Kayouloud and Koval lead the team in rebounding with 27 boards on the year.
• The Bears are shooting 35.7 percent from the field, 26.9 percent from the 3-point line, and 63.9 percent from the free-throw line.

GAME INFORMATION
Teams: Georgia State vs. Prairie View A&M
Date: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: CBU Events Center
Watch: FloHoops
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Georgia State is coming off its third NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons and welcomes new head coach Rob Lanier to the helm. The Panthers finished in the top two in the conference standings five times in the last six years since returning to the Sun Belt Conference. In 2018-19, the Panthers went 24-10, 13-5 to earn the regular-season title. The Panthers are currently 1-3 on the season after dropping their last three games to the College of Charleston (84-80), No. 2 Duke (74-63), and RV Georgetown (91-83).

Notables:

• The Panthers went into Durham, North Carolina, and battled to the very end against the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils.
• Corey Allen and Kane Williams lead the team in scoring with 14.7ppg and 14.3ppg, respectively.
• Williams was named on the All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Second Team.
• Justin Roberts has logged almost 100 minutes for the Panthers.

Prairie View A&M finished the 2018-19 season as the top team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 17-1 record to win the regular-season and tournament titles. PVAMU was picked to repeat as the defending champions in the SWAC and senior forward Devonte Patterson was named the 2019-20 SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. Senior guard Gerard Andrus joined Patterson on the All-SWAC preseason team.

Notables:

• The Panthers fell to Texas (70-56) and Cal (54-50) to start the 2K Empire Classic.
• Chancellor Ellis is the top scorer for the Panthers, recording a team-best 14.2 points per game.
• Lenell Henry leads the team in rebounds per game (8.0) and is second on the team in scoring (9.0).
• Head Coach Byron Smith is in his third season at the helm for PVAMU.
• Last season marked the first time in the history of the school's men's basketball program that a coach won both the regular-season title and the SWAC Tournament Championship.