Bogues Selected to Participate in 2019 3X3U National Championship
3/26/2019 2:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
32 teams of seniors representing every Division I conference will compete for $150,000 prize pool live on Twitter and ESPN2
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – SFA's Shannon Bogues has been selected to participate in the 2019 Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, scheduled for April 5-7 at Minnesota's Mall of America. Bogues is one of four players selected from the Southland Conference.
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.
An NABC All-Region 23 First Team Choice as well as an All-Southland Conference Second Team selection, Bogues ended his Lumberjack career earlier this month as one of the most prolific scorers in program history. Bogues became the first Lumberjack in twenty years to lead the Southland Conference in scoring, averaging a league-best 17.9 points per game. The Killeen, Texas, product scored at least 10 points in 31 consecutive outings dating back to the 2017-18 season which stands as the longest stretch of double-digit scoring outings in SFA's NCAA-era history. His selection to the NABC All-District 23 First Team makes him only the second SFA player to ever earn multiple All-District awards from the NABC.
Not only did Bogues top the conference charts in scoring, he ranked as the Southland's leader in total points (536) and minutes played per game (36:06). Among the SFA ranks, Bogues led the way in assists per game (3.6), free throw percentage (78.6-percent), three-pointers per game (2.20), field goal attempts (424) and field goals made (178).
Throughout the year, Bogues provided the SFA faithful with a number of great memories including his game-winner at the buzzer to knock off Big 12 adversary Baylor and his 1,000th SFA point in a Southland Conference showdown at Central Arkansas on February 27. For his career, Bogues finished with 1,075 points which ranks as the 27th-most on SFA's all-time scoring charts. This season, his 424 field goal attempts tied SFA's NCAA-era record for most shots in a single season.
All games of the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be carried live on Twitter or ESPN2. Pool play will begin at 2:00 p.m. on April 5, with 24 games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Pool play will continue on April 6 at 8:30 a.m. with 24 more games streamed live exclusively on Twitter. Round of 16 and quarterfinal games will be streamed live exclusively on Twitter at 9:30 a.m. CT on April 7, with semifinal, consolation and championship games televised live on ESPN2 later that day at 2 p.m. 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.
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