“I was in almost from the beginning,” Byington said. “I like to think outside the box, so to play the first college basketball game, really any game of the season is, awesome. This is such a unique event, and to do it in Charleston, a place that means a lot to me and my family, was just an added bonus.”
Howe knew they’d need a local flavor and quickly added The Citadel and College of Charleston. The two downtown schools are not scheduled to play during the regular season this year.
“We thought it was a fantastic idea and a unique opportunity for our program,” said College of Charleston coach John Groce.
After the initial field was announced publicly, Howe started to get calls from schools from across the country.
“That’s when we thought about adding another game,” he said.
When the opportunity to land the South Carolina women’s team to the event, Howe didn’t hesitate to add one of the nation’s top women’s program to the festivities.
“It’s such a beautiful venue, and the floor looks great,” Staley said after the Gamecocks worked out on Saturday morning. “The court is in great shape, not slippery at all. I think the fans will have a great time, and it will be something that’s going to be repeated for years to come. Hopefully the weather cooperates and it is like this (Sunday) when we play.”
The tickets that remained sold out quickly after the Gamecocks were added to the event.
Howe can see other blue blood programs taking part in the event in the future.
“Clemson and South Carolina would be obvious choices, but we think that schools like Duke and North Carolina would be part of future invitationals,” he said.
Basketball court over green clay
Before the idea of putting on an outdoor basketball could even be considered, Howe had to make sure Credit One Stadium’s center court would have a big enough footprint to accommodate a regulation floor.
It did.
“We went out and did all the measurements,” Howe said. “We knew if there wasn’t enough room for a regulation basketball court, the idea was dead in the water.”