Not every school’s basketball team makes it to March Madness, but this year, some schools have a chance to participate in a new postseason tournament – the College Basketball Crown.
"It's a great opportunity for coaches to prolong their season and fans to travel to Vegas, a great site for a tournament, of course. And the players just to get a little bit more exposure," said College Basketball Crown ambassador Lon Kruger.
Sixteen schools are competing in a single-elimination tournament this week.
"It fits right in between the Elite Eight and the Final Four week and it's something different. And I think they needed a change, I think it needed a spark. And I think this, the Crown Tournament, provides all of that in one place," said College Basketball Crown ambassador Jim Jackson.
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The tournament features schools from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, in addition to at-large participants.
Reps from 12 NBA teams are scheduled to attend the tournament, taking a peek at these students’ talents.
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"We have a lot of NBA scouts here, a lot of NBA personnel, and, in terms of players, have a little bit more exposure… Everyone wants to play. Most of them want to play basketball after college," Kruger said.
On top of the crown trophy, the winning team will also take home a $300,000 Name, Image and Likeness package, while the runner-up will score a $100,000 package.
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The inaugural year features only men’s teams, but women’s teams could be on the way.
"You got to start from somewhere. You got to get a sense and feel what works, what doesn't, how you can improve on it. That way, when you do introduce it to the women's side of the equation, you've kind of worked out everything. And it's a seamless transition to get the women involved as well," said Jackson.
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The first four games kicked off Monday, with the championship game taking place on Sunday.
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