The bracket for the fourth annual Myrtle Beach Invitational has been released as the 2022 in-season tournament will be played November 17, 18 and 20 at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.
The upper half of the bracket has Colorado versus UMass and Murray State meeting Texas A&M in the afternoon session games on November 17 with the evening session featuring Boise State playing Charlotte and Loyola Chicago facing Tulsa.
The first-round Myrtle Beach Invitational winners play in the semi-finals on November 18 with the title game set for 1 p.m. (ET) on November 20 at the HTC Center. While Boise State and Charlotte meet for the first time, UMass leads the series with Colorado 2-1, Murray State won the only meeting with Texas A&M and Loyola Chicago is 2-0 versus Tulsa.
Owned and operated by ESPN Events, the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational is an eight-team, 12-game bracketed tournament that features six schools that posted winning records last season with five squads advancing to the post-season. Boise State, Loyola Chicago and Murray State competed in the NCAA after winning their league’s post-season tournaments. Colorado joined Texas A&M in the NIT where the Aggies advanced to the championship game against Xavier at Madison Square Garden.
Myrtle Beach Invitational Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 17
Colorado vs. UMass at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNU
Murray State vs. Texas A&M at 4 p.m. on ESPN2
Boise State vs. Charlotte at 7 p.m. on ESPNEWS
Loyola vs. Tulsa at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU
Friday, Nov. 18
Consolation Game #1 at 12 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
Semifinal #1 at 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
Semifinal #2 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU
Consolation Game #2 at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+
Sunday, Nov. 20
Championship Game at 1 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
Seventh Place Game at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN+
Fifth Place Game at 7 p.m. on ESPNEWS
Tickets for the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational will go on sale to the public on August 15. Fans can secure up to $25 off each all-tournament ticket by signing up for the pre-sale at http://www.myrtlebeachinvite.com. Discounted hotel accommodations at official fan properties will soon be available through our travel partner On Location. Fans can sign up for updates at https://onlocationexp.com/college-sports/myrtle-beach-invitational-tickets.
UCF captured the inaugural event by defeating Western Kentucky in 2018 finale. Baylor topped Villanova for the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational title. Following the cancellation of the 2020 Myrtle Beach Invitational, Utah State defeated Oklahoma for the 2021 championship.
Here is a capsule look at the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational schools.
Boise State (Mountain West Conference) - The Broncos are the reigning MW champions after setting school records for total (27), conference (15) and consecutive (14) wins last season. Boise State' No. 8 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament was the highest in program history. The Broncos will be making its second appearance at the HTC Center after placing second to Iowa State in the 2017 event when the Coast Carolina facility hosted the Puerto Rico Tipoff. Boise State have posted a 10-8 record in its previous six ESPN in-season tournament appearance with a second at the 2013 DiamondHead Classic.
Charlotte (Conference USA) - After posting a double-digit win total in conference play for the second time since 2006 and the most victories (17) since 2013-2014 season, the 49ers will be competing in their sixth ESPN in-season tournament. Charlotte, which captured the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off by defeating Michigan in the title game, has a 6-9 mark in ESPN tournaments with its last appearance at the DiamondHead Classic in 2018.
Colorado (Pac-12 Conference) - The Buffs finished the 2021-2022 season at 21-12 overall and placed fourth in the Pac-12 at 12-8. Colorado eclipsed the 20-win mark for the fourth-straight year, advancing to the 2022 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). In appearing in their fifth ESPN in-season tournament with a 6-6 record, the Buffs will be seeking their second in-season tournament in South Carolina after winning the 2012 Charleston Classic by defeating Murray State 81-74 in the finals.
Loyola Chicago (Atlantic 10 Conference) - After posting a 25-8 overall record last season and winning the Missouri Valley's post-season tournament title to earn their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Ramblers will be competing in a new conference this season. Loyola will be competing in its first-ever ESPN in-season tournament.
Murray State (Missouri Valley Conference) - Like Loyola Chicago, the Racers will be competing in a new conference this season after winning the 2022 Ohio Valley regular- and post-season titles to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Murray State, which posted a 31-3 record last season highlighted by an 18-0 league record, will be competing in its third ESPN in-season tournament. The Racers have a 3-3 ESPN mark highlighted by the 2012 second-place in Charleston.
Texas A&M (Southeastern Conference) - The Aggies posted a 27-13 mark last season and finished the 2021-2022 by winning 12 of their last 15 games highlighted runner up placements in both the SEC post-season tournament and the NIT. Texas A&M posted double-digit NIT wins over Alcorn State, Oregon, Wake Forest and Washington State before losing 73-72 in the finale to Xavier. The Aggies have has posted an 8-7 record in its previous five appearances in ESPN in-season tournaments with a second-place finish at the 2016 Wooden Legacy.
Tulsa (American Athletic Conference) - The Golden Hurricane will be seeking to rebound from a 11-20 record as the school returns to an in-season tournament in Myrtle Beach for the second-time. Tulsa placed fourth in the 2017 Puerto Rico Tip-Off played at Coastal Carolina when the Golden Hurricane dropped an 8-78 decision to eventual champion Iowa State in the semi-finals. With four previous appearances in ESPN in-season tournaments, Tulsa has a 5-7 record in those events.
UMass (Atlantic 10 Conference) - The Minutemen finished 15-17 last season and nearly upset No. 2-seeded Dayton in the post-season tournament. UMass will be appearing in its third ESPN in-season tournament as the Minutemen have posted a 4-2 record highlighted by a 2013 Charleston Classic title where they defeated Clemson in the finals.
Three 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational participants will be led by new coaches, including Steve Prohm at Murray State, Eric Konkol at Tulsa and Frank Martin at UMass. Prohm and Martin were head coaches at Iowa State and South Carolina, respectively, in 2017 when Coastal Carolina hosted the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Prohm's Cyclones defeated Boise State 75-64 for the 2017 title while Martin's Gamecocks won their last two games at the HTC Center after being upset by Illinois State 69-65 in the quarter-finals.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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