TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo men's basketball team will open the 2018 Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. on Monday, Nov. 19 against 2018 NIT participant Florida Gulf Coast. Toledo is one of five teams in the tournament field that won 20 or more games last season.
 
     The Gulf Coast Showcase was created specifically for mid-major programs in 2013. The Rockets' matchup vs. the Eagles (23-12) will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19. Other first-round contests include South Dakota State (28-7) against Tulane (14-17) at 11:00 a.m., UC-Irvine (18-17) versus UTSA (20-15) at 1:30 p.m. and Louisiana (27-7) taking on Colorado State (11-21) at 5:00 p.m.
    
     Game times for Tuesday and Wednesday will be the same with semifinal contests on Nov. 20 at 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday's championship game will tip at 7:30 p.m.
 
     "We're going to face very good teams in the Gulf Coast Showcase in what is the top mid-major tournament in the country," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "I really like the fact that we're going to be tested in all three games and have a chance to see how we respond to teams that play different styles. It's also a great opportunity for us to get a taste of what it's like to play three games in three days which we experienced in the MAC Tournament last year."
 
     Kowalczyk has guided the Rockets to three 20-win campaigns in the last five years, marking the first time for this accomplishment since Bob Nichols recorded five straight seasons of 20-plus victories from 1976-81. UT registered a 23-11 record with a 13-5 mark in league play last year and its 55 MAC victories over the last five seasons rank second in the league.
 
     The Rockets will return four starters in the 2018-19 campaign, led by seniors Jaelan Sanford and Nate Navigato. Sanford, a second-team All-MAC selection last year, ranked ninth in the MAC with 16.3 ppg and a 40.3 three-point shooting mark. Navigato set a school record last year with 94 three-pointers and led the MAC last season with 2.8 treys per game and ranked second with a 42.7 three-point percentage. Also returning for Toledo will be the junior duo of center Luke Knapke (10.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and forward Willie Jackson (7.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) as well as All-MAC Freshman Team member Marreon Jackson (8.0 ppg, 2.7 apg).
 
     For the fourth consecutive year, the tournament will support the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. The hospital is the only children's hospital between Tampa and Miami and provides vital health care for the region's sick and injured children and their families. The hospital's  new $242 million facility provides 300,000 square feet of space, 128 pediatric and NICU beds with space to expand to 160 beds, a 17-bay emergency department, a freestanding pediatric pharmacy and in-hospital school classroom.
 
Ticket and Fan Travel Information
     Tickets for the 2018 Gulf Coast Showcase are on sale now at GermainArena.com or through Ticketmaster. All-Tournament passes are available for $74, $99 or $149 with single session tickets ranging from $10 General Admission to $45 Courtside for each two-game session. Each day of the tournament will feature an afternoon session (starting at 11:00 a.m.) and evening session (5:00 p.m.) and tickets will be good for both games of a given session.
 
     Fan travel information, including preferred hotel rates at the official tournament resort hotel – the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point – is available on www.GulfCoastShowcase.com.
 
Campus Games Schedule/Official Name
     In addition to the tournament games in Southwest Florida, participating teams will play an additional game at home sites. To comply with the NCAA By-Laws on scheduling, the official title for this year's event is the NIT Tip-Off – Gulf Coast Showcase Regional. The schedule for games at home sites is as follows:
 
*  Nov. 7 – Colorado Christian @ Colorado State
*  Nov. 9 – Louisiana @ Tennessee
*  Nov. 10 – Wilberforce @ Toledo
*  Nov. 12 – Life Pacific @ UC Irvine
*  Nov. 16 – South Dakota State @ FGCU
*  TBD – St. Edwards @ UTSA
 
2018 Gulf Coast Showcase Schedule
 

Mon., Nov. 19	11:00 a.m.	South Dakota State vs. Tulane
Mon., Nov. 19	1:30 p.m.	UC-Irvine vs. UTSA
Mon., Nov. 19	5:00 p.m.	Louisiana vs. Colorado State
Mon., Nov. 19	7:30 p.m.	Toledo vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Tues., Nov. 20	11:00 a.m.	South Dakota State-Tulane loser vs. UC-Irvine-UTSA loser
Tues., Nov. 20	1:30 p.m.	Louisiana-Colorado State loser vs. Toledo-FGCU loser
Tues., Nov. 20	5:00 p.m.	South Dakota State-Tulane winner vs. UC-Irvine-UTSA winner
Tues., Nov. 20	7:30 p.m.	Louisiana-Colorado State winner vs. Toledo-FGCU winner
Wed., Nov. 21	11:00 a.m.	Seventh-place game
Wed., Nov. 21	1:30 p.m.	Fifth-place game
Wed., Nov. 21	5:00 p.m.	Third-place game
Wed., Nov. 21	7:30 p.m.	Championship game