The 2009 76 Classic is a 3-day, 8-team, 12-game men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 (NCAA) Division I exempt basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 event being held on November 26, 27, & 29, 2009. The tournament is sponsored by Conoco Phillips-owned brand 76

76 (Conoco Phillips)

76 is a chain of gas stations located within the United States. The 76 brand is owned by ConocoPhillips. Union Oil Company of California, dba Unocal, the original owner and creator of the Union 76 brand merged with Chevron Corporation in 2005.In 1997, Unocal sold its western United States refining...

. All 12 games are played at the Anaheim Convention Center

Anaheim Convention Center

The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...

 in Anaheim, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The 76 Classic is an ESPN Regional TV

ESPN Plus

ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...

 owned and operated event, hosted by ESPN and the Big West Conference

Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...

. All games are televised on the ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 family of networks.

Butler, with 6'9" Gordon Hayward, is rated No. 9 by ESPN The Magazine in its pre-season rankings, followed No. 11 West Virginia, No. 23 Minnesota, No. 27 Texas A&M, and No. 30 UCLA.

The West Virginia Mountaineers won the tournament by defeating Long Beach State, Texas A&M, and upstart Portland in the finals to capture the 76 Classic title in 2009.

Bracket

All times: Pacific time (PT)

Awards and honors

Tournament MVP

Most Valuable Player

In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...

• DaSean Butler, West Virginia

All-Tournament Team
First Team

• DaSean Butler, West Virginia
• T.J. Campbell, Portland
• T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State
• Gordon Hayward, Butler

Second Team