Barclays Booking College Hoops

You will not hear Brett Yormark or Bruce Ratner badmouth the Knicks or Madison Square Garden, but they're quietly booking big national and local college games at Barclays Center, knowing that college hoops is at least as important to the Garden's reputation as the Knicks.

Lenn Robbins in the Post reports that the Barclays Center has booked even more college games, with the plan being to offer good deals to local college teams as well as major powers like Kentucky and Maryland, who will play the first big game in Brooklyn. There will be contests between LIU and both Morehead State and Seton Hall, Fordham and Princeton and if Yormark gets his way, a tournament featuring the top area high schools vs. national powers.

"We’re going to have the best teams in the nation here," said the Nets CEO. "And we’re going to give local colleges and high schools a chance to experience playing on the same court that the Nets and the greatest players in the NBA and performers such as Jay-Z and the greatest entertainers perform.’’

• Brooklyn's Barclays Center set to become hoops heaven - Lenn Robbins - New York Post