KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Valdosta State University men's basketball team was selected to compete in the Small College Basketball Tip Off Classic in Lakeland, Fla., to begin the 2022-23 season.  The announcement was made on Tuesday by the organization, as the two-day tournament will be held Nov. 5-6, 2022, featuring some of the best NCAA Division II men's basketball programs in the country.

SCB announced that the 2022 SCB Tip Off Classic will be moving to Lakeland, Fla., and held in Jenkins Fieldhouse on the campus of Florida Southern College. The event will be sponsored by Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing and there will be five games each day. 

The 2022 event will be expanding to 10 teams and Lakeland will be the third location to host the event since its inception in 2016.  Most recently, the SCB National Hall of Fame Classic was held in St. Joseph, Mo.  This year's event took place in St. Joseph, Mo., on Nov. 6-7. 

"We are excited about having an opportunity to play in the premier Division II Basketball Preseason Classic," head coach Mike Helfer said. "It's an honor to be invited and represent Valdosta State University on a national stage."

VSU will face Minnesota State-Moorhead on Sat., Nov. 5, at 3:30 p.m., and will then battle Hillsdale (Mich.) on Sunday, Nov. 6, also at 3:30 p.m., next November.  The complete schedule of games is listed below.  

The classic features six teams that are currently ranked. Along with the No. 20 Blazers, Dallas Baptist is currently ranked No. 25, Hillsdale is ranked No. 16, Nova-Southeastern is No. 8, Queens (N.C.) is No. 5, and Northwest Missouri State is No. 3. 

For more information on Small College Basketball and the SCB Tip Off Classic, please head to smallcollegebasketball.com. 

Saturday, November 5, 2022

11:00   Hillsdale vs. Dallas Baptist

1:15     Nova Southeastern vs. Alabama Huntsville

3:30     Minnesota State-Moorhead vs. Valdosta State

5:45     Flagler vs. Florida Southern

8:00     Queens vs. Northwest Missouri State

Sunday, November 6, 2022

11:00   Minnesota State-Moorhead vs. Alabama Huntsville

1:15     Nova Southeastern vs. Dallas Baptist

3:30     Valdosta State vs. Hillsdale

5:45     Queens vs. Florida Southern

8:00     Northwest Missouri State State vs. Flagler

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