The Bradley men's basketball team will return to Las Vegas for a third consecutive season, and the fourth time in six years, when the Braves participate in the 2014 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic Dec. 21-22 at the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center.

The Braves will face a stiff challenge in its return trip to the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic, tentatively opening the event against defending Big West Conference regular-season champion UC Irvine Dec. 21 (1:30 p.m. PST), followed by a matchup against either defending Horizon League regular season-champion Green Bay or Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas-Little Rock Dec. 22. The Dec. 21 winners will meet in the Dec. 22 championship game at 1:30 p.m. PST, following a matchup of Dec. 21 losers in the 11 a.m. PST third-place game. Ticket prices for the 2014 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic have not yet been determined, but will be available for purchase in advance through the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center Box Office online at http://www.southpointarena.com/tickets.php or by calling (702) 796-7111.

2014 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic
Tentative Schedule (all times Pacific)

Sunday, Dec. 21
11:00 a.m. - UALR vs. Green Bay
1:30 p.m. - UC Irvine vs. Bradley

Monday, Dec. 22
11:00 a.m. - Third-place Game
1:30 p.m. - Championship Game

Led by 2014 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and last season's team scoring leader, Luke Nelson (11.8 ppg), UC Irvine graduated only one senior from last season's squad that finished 23-12 overall, won the BWC regular-season title with a 13-3 league record and played in the postseason (NIT) for a second consecutive season. The Anteaters ended the 2013-14 season ranked No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.374) and fourth in blocked shots (224).

Bradley is 1-3 all-time against UC Irvine and the teams played two of the highest scoring games in Missouri Valley Conference history during their initial home-and-home series in 1986 and 1987. Following a 121-111 loss at UCI Dec. 1, 1986, Bradley earned a 139-119 win against the Anteaters Dec. 19, 1987 when eventual national player of the year Hersey Hawkins set the Carver Arena scoring record with 51 points. Bradley's 139 points in the 1987 rematch remain the single-game program record, while Irvine's 121 and 119 points remain the two highest-scoring games against Bradley in program history. The Anteaters went on to sweep a second home-and-home series in 1990 (94-85) and 1991 (61-57).

A potential second-day opponent in Las Vegas, Green Bay returns the 2014 Horizon League Player of the Year, Keifer Sykes, from its conference championship squad. The Phoenix were 24-7 overall and won the Horizon League regular-season title with a 14-2 league record before falling in the first round of the NIT. Sykes, who averaged 20.3 points and 4.9 assists per game, is one of five seniors on the Green Bay roster, which includes players that have combined for 463 individual games played for the Phoenix. Sykes had 18 points, five assists and no turnovers in 35 minutes when Bradley last met Green Bay, a 75-69 Braves win in the first round of the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at Renaissance Coliseum.

Bradley and Green Bay have met only two times on the hardwood. In addition to the 2013 CIT matchup, Bradley earned a 66-60 win against the Phoenix Jan. 24, 1973 at Robertson Fieldhouse.

A potential second-day matchup against UALR would be the first-ever meeting against the Trojans, who return 10 of 13 players from their 2013-14 squad that went 15-17 overall and tied for fifth in the Sun Belt Conference with a 9-9 league record.

In addition to the 2013 South Point Holiday Hoops Classic, Bradley played in the 2012 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic and the 2009 HoopTv Las Vegas Invitational, both at Orleans Arena.

Bradley has announced four potential non-conference opponents for the 2014-15 season. In addition to the trio of teams awaiting the Braves in Las Vegas, Bradley will visit Kansas State Dec. 9. Additional non-conference opponents will be announced individually throughout the summer and the 18-game Missouri Valley Conference schedule is expected to be released in late August or early September.

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