BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the field of teams, which includes the UIC Flames, and brackets for the Boca Raton Beach Classic presented by Sport Changes Life.

The NCAA men's multi-team event sponsored by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will take place December 1-2 at Florida Atlantic University. The Hall of Fame Bracket is loaded with talented teams: San Diego, St. Bonaventure, FAU and UIC. San Diego won 21 games last season and played in the NIT, while the Bonnies won 18 times and advanced to the championship game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The hosts, FAU, had 17 wins a year ago and participated in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Naismith Bracket features Mercer, Canisius, Hofstra and Holy Cross.

The Flames will open against the hosts at FAU's Abessinio Court on Sunday, December 1 at 5 p.m. CT. The winner of that game will advance to the Hall of Fame Championship game on December 2 at 7 p.m. CT against the winner of the matchup between San Diego and St. Bonaventure. The non-winning teams will also play in the third-place game at 4 p.m. CT. General public tickets will be available for $20 per day via the Florida Atlantic University box office.

UIC has only faced San Diego among the teams in its bracket. The Flames are 1-1 all-time against the Toreros with the victory coming on Nov. 25, 2013 at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.

Prior to heading to the Sunshine State, UIC will open the tournament with two games at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. The Flames will host Mercer on Nov. 23 and Canisius on Nov. 26. It will be the third time UIC has played Mercer, and the first since the 2012 Paradise Jam. The Flames won that matchup in convincing fashion, 62-36.

UIC's remaining nonconference and Horizon League schedules will be announced at a later date.

The Flames return a majority of the roster from a year ago, including 99.6 percent of the scoring production from 2018-19 and 99.3 percent of the team's rebounding total. UIC has eight upperclassmen with five seniors and three juniors. The senior class includes 2019 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District and All-Horizon League honoree Tarkus Ferguson. He was one of two known players in the NCAA to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and minutes played.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.