NCAA Basketball: An early look at the 2018 Myrtle Beach Invitational

OKLAHOMA CITY - MARCH 20: A detail of a NCAA logo decal is seen at center court as the Kansas State Wildcats play against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Ford Center on March 20, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 16: The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot looks on in the first half against the Murray State Racers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The 2018-19 season will see the inaugural Myrtle Beach Invitational take place November 15-18. Who are the first participants in this new event?

The ESPN networks will have another early season non-conference tournament to televise in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. In the inaugural event for next season, eight teams who have either participated in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT Tournament in the last couple of seasons will be a part of it. Here is a preview of each program that will be playing.

Cal-State Fullerton Titans

The Titans are coming off a 20-win season and a Big West tournament title. They faced off with Purdue in the Big Dance, falling 74-48. Coach Dedrique Taylor returns eight of the nine players that played in at least 24 games. Senior-to-be guards Kyle Allman and Khalil Ahmad both return in the backcourt with the 34.6 points and the 7.3 rebounds they averaged last season.

The frontcourt will be led by 6-7 Jackson Rowe who scored 12 points and pulled down 6.7 rebounds in his sophomore campaign. No other player on the roster averaged more than seven points last season so Taylor will heavily on his returnees, but two things that will make the Titans even tougher, getting more consistent play out of guard Austen Awosika and improving their 3-point shooting. The Titans made just five three-pointers per game and shot 33% from behind the arc, both of those numbers could be improved with the addition of freshman Wayne Arnold, who arrives with the reputation of an elite shooter.

Monmouth Hawks

Two years ago, the Hawks won 27 games and were left out of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, they struggled to an 11-20 record, but half of those came by single digits. The Hawks may suffer through more growing pain this season as coach King Rice’s squad does return most of his roster but it is loaded with youth. Sophomore guard Deion Hammond is the lone returnee who averaged double-digit points (12.1) and the Hawks do return six others who played in at least 29 games, but only center Diago Quinn and his 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds will be a senior.

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