Pitt basketball to face Davidson, others as part of Gotham Classic

The initial report broke a while back, but on Tuesday, the news finally became official that Pitt will take on Davidson in the Gotham Classic. In addition, the Panthers will also play home games against Eastern Washington, Morehead State, and Western Carolina.

All games are in December and Pitt will face Davidson at Madison Square Garden on December 20.

This is one of those tournaments where Pitt and Davidson will clash regardless of what happens in the earlier games. Always great to get a game in Madison Square Garden and against what should be a tough opponent. Davidson was an NCAA Tournament team last year and returns four starters.

Coaches for both sides issued statements per the Pitt release:

"We are excited to be a part of the Gotham Classic," says Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. "It is a terrific event with matchups that will prepare us for our conference schedule. We have always received great support in the New York area, so playing an outstanding team like Davidson at Madison Square Garden will be tremendous for our team and our fans."

Davidson head coach Bob McKillop says, "We are thrilled to participate in the Gotham Classic. Superb programs, outstanding coaches, and an opportunity to play in Madison Square Garden will make it a very exciting and challenging event for Davidson College."

If you're in the area, tickets for the Davidson game go on sale on Thursday via Ticketmaster. Here's the full schedule of games:

Dec. 9 - Eastern Washington at Davidson

Dec. 17 - Morehead State at Eastern Washington

Dec. 11 - Eastern Washington at Pittsburgh

Dec. 12 - Western Carolina at Davidson

Dec. 13 - Morehead State at Pittsburgh

Dec. 14 - Eastern Washington at Western Carolina

Dec. 20 - Pittsburgh vs. Davidson (at Madison Square Garden)

Dec. 20 - Western Carolina at Morehead State

Dec. 23 - Morehead State at Davidson

Dec. 23 - Western Carolina at Pittsburgh

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