It’s been a ritual over the last few seasons for Georgetown head coach John Thompson III and George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga to pair up their respective teams for clandestine preseason scrimmages.
ESPN is ready for that rivalry to go public as the two teams were placed at opposite ends of the Charleston Classic, which will take place the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov. 18, 19 and 21). Like the poorly located showdown between Georgetown and Maryland two years ago in Orlando, the Patriots and Hoyas will meet at Carolina First Arena in Charleston, S.C., if they end up getting the same record in the same order after their first two tournament games.
Both teams are faced with tough, underrated draws before they could face each other. The Hoyas play Big South runner-up Coastal Carolina first with Southern Conference champion Wofford likely waiting in their next contest. If George Mason can get past Charlotte, it may find itself in an RPI-friendly showdown against North Carolina State.
