MAAC Team Announced for Dos Equis 3x3 National Championship

MAAC Team Announced for Dos Equis 3x3 National Championship

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EDISON, NJ – Fairfield University’s Jonathan Kasibabu, Iona College’s Rickey McGill, Niagara University’s Marvin Prochet, and Saint Peter’s University's Davauhnte Turner have been selected to participate in the 2019 Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, scheduled for April 5-7 at Minnesota’s Mall of America.
 
The tournament is comprised of all-star teams of seniors, who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, representing all 32 Division I conferences. The teams will compete for a $150,000 prize pool, with the champions taking home $100,000, double the prize money from a year ago. Additionally, the winners will earn the right to compete in the 2019 USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship later this spring.
 
Kasibabu was the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year after his senior season in 2018-19. Kasibabu averaged a career-best 10.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. The senior finished his career with over 1,000 points and 700 rebounds. Kasibabu had six double-doubles during the year, which tied him for second in the MAAC.
 
McGill was named to the All-MAAC First Team and helped the Gaels capture their fourth straight MAAC Championship. McGill was named the Most Valuable Player at the MAAC Championship and became the first MAAC men’s basketball player to win four titles. The senior had 26 points in Iona’s loss against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Prochet posted a career-best 15.7 points per game in 2018-19. The Purple Eagle was named to the All-MAAC Second Team and was the lone player in the MAAC to rank in the top 10 in points per game (7th), rebounds per game (4th), 3-point field percentage (5th), 3-pointers per game (5th), and blocks (7th). Prochet led the MAAC in double-doubles with nine.
 
Turner led the Peacocks in scoring this season at 16.8 points and in 24-of-32 games this season. The Louisiana native was tabbed All-MAAC Third Team and ranked fourth in the MAAC in scoring, free throw percentage, and minutes played. The redshirt-senior scored 20-plus points 12 times and eclipsed the 30-point plateau once—against Niagara with 31.
 
All games of the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be carried live on Twitter or ESPN2. Pool play will begin at 3 p.m. ET on April 5, with 24 games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Pool play will continue on April 6 at 9:30 a.m. ET with 24 more games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Round of 16 and quarterfinal games will be streamed live exclusively on Twitter at 10:30 a.m. ET on April 7, with semifinal, consolation and championship games televised live on ESPN2 later that day at 3 p.m. ET. Returning to call all the action throughout the tournament will be the voice of FIBA 3x3 basketball, Kyle Montgomery, with Robbie Hummel of ESPN and Tate Frazier and Mark Titus of The Ringer’s One Shining Podcast providing color commentary and sideline coverage.
 
“The attention from the inaugural Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship last year has really elevated the anticipation for this year’s event at Mall of America,” said Drew Russell, executive vice president at Intersport, the Chicago-based agency which operates the event. “We are incredibly excited about the field of players that will be competing in the event and believe the talent that will be on display will create an unforgettable atmosphere for everyone involved. Additionally, we’re confident these players are going to enjoy a one of a kind experience that will help position them for the next steps in their basketball careers.”
 
Each team roster will be comprised of four eligible seniors from the same Division I conference. Teams will be organized into eight pools of four and each team will be guaranteed three pool play games, earning $1,000 for every victory on Friday and Saturday. The top two teams in each pool will move on to Sunday’s knockout stage, where the stakes skyrocket. Only the teams competing in the tournament final will earn additional prize money, with the champions winning $100,000.
 
The setting for the second annual Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be unlike anything the 128 players have seen when they take to the half-court inside Mall of America, the most popular tourist destination in Minnesota with more than 40 million visitors each year. The Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be staged in the Rotunda at the Mall, which hosted the first WCW Monday Nitro in September 1995, and will be just the second live sporting event to be broadcast in the Mall’s history.
 
Bragging rights for the winners won’t end in Minnesota; the 2019 champion will earn the right to represent the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship at the USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship later this spring. There, athletes will have the opportunity to be selected to represent the United States in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, held June 18-23 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Participating athletes will also be considered for the USA Basketball 3x3 athlete pool, which may lead to future opportunities in other FIBA 3x3 competitions. Of note, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will feature 3x3 basketball as a medal sport for the first time.
 
Admission to the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship is free and fans are encouraged to be part of the atmosphere during regular Mall of America operating hours (10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. CT on April 5-6, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT on April 7).
 
For more information on the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, including event updates, details, rules and more, follow us on Twitter at @3X3UHoops or online at www.3X3UHoops.com.
 
About Intersport:
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Customer Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Sports Properties, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps their clients to create ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
 
About HEINEKEN USA:
HEINEKEN USA Inc., the nation’s leading high-end beer importer, is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN International NV, the world’s most international brewer. Key brands imported into the U.S. are Heineken®– the world’s most international beer brand, Dos Equis, Tecate and Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders. HEINEKEN USA also imports Amstel Light, Red Stripe, Tiger Beer, Newcastle Brown Ale, Birra Moretti, Bohemia and more. For news and updates, follow us on Twitter @HeinekenUSACorp, or visit HEINEKENUSA.com.

About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.