June 5, 2008

GREELEY, Colo. -- Northern Colorado's men's basketball team will spend the days leading up to this Christmas in the land of slot machines and poker tables.

The eight-team field for the seventh annual Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic is set, and Tad Boyle's Bears will join Creighton, Depaul, Fresno State, Liberty, Saint Louis, South Carolina Upstate and Southern in the event.

Each team will play four games total, with the first two coming at campus sites and the final two coming December 22 and 23 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7. For more information, call 702-284-7777 or visit www.orleansarena.com.

The rest of Northern Colorado's men's basketball schedule is still to be determined. Check back to uncbears.com for updates.

The Bears, which finished 13-16 last year, will enter the 2008-09 season with three of their top five scorers from last year in senior Jabril Banks (13.2 points per game) and juniors Jefferson Mason (9.4) and Will Figures (7.5).

New players for Northern Colorado this year include junior-transfers Yahosh Bonner (Salt Lake Community College) and John Pena (Mesa Community College) and freshmen Elliott Lloyd (Houston, Texas) and Mike Proctor (Phoenix, Ariz.).