Daily Word: Preseason WNIT Features Hartford

Daily Word: Preseason WNIT Features Hartford

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New for the 2011-2012 seasons, the America East Daily Word, a collaboration between AmericaEast.com and AExtra, will recap the previous day's games and on goings on our nine campuses and provide links to previews, recaps, features and exclusive coverage.

Preseason tournaments, non-conference showdowns and banner raising ceremonies – all terms that can describe one of the best days of the year. Teams from all over the country open the college basketball season tomorrow.

All of the America East men’s and women’s squad hit the hardwood tomorrow night, or at least at some point this weekend. The Hartford women’s squad hosts a game in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament, an 8 p.m. tilt with the Jaspers from Manhattan. The Hawks will also raise a 2011 Conference Championship banner.

Nine of the 16 teams in this year’s field are coming off postseason berths last season including the Hawks, who made their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Friday night’s contest is one of three guaranteed games in the WNIT for Hartford. If the Hawks were to win against Manhattan, they would move on to the second round to face the winner of the Long Island-Drexel matchup.

Manhattan leads the all-time series against Hartford, 4-2.

Some other news out of Hartford this week, the Connecticut 6 Classic will be hosted by the University of Hartford in 2012. The one-day, three-game, six-team event is in its third year of existence and is held annually at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The announcement came on Tuesday that the Reich Family Pavilion would host the six Division I mid-major men’s basketball teams next season. Take a look at a video from the tip-off breakfast in downtown Hartford.

For more of the Daily Word, check out the AExtra blog.