The four-day, 27-game scouting event features the league’s 27 teams, each playing two regular-season games in front of representatives from all 30 NBA teams. For the first time, the event will be held in December, allowing NBA team personnel the opportunity to evaluate two-way and NBA G League talent in advance of the 10-day signing period and two-way guarantee deadline. For the second consecutive season, the NBA G League Winter Showcase will be played across two courts with as many as seven games per day.

For the first time, the NBA G League Winter Showcase will host more than 20 players from NBA Academies, the league’s network of elite basketball training centers for top prospects from outside the U.S. The prospects will scrimmage against one another, participate in the 2018 Tarkanian Classic and receive life-skills programming focusing on education, leadership, health and wellness, and character development. Since October 2016, NBA Academies have been launched in Canberra, Australia; Jinan, Urumqi and Zhuji, China; Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India; Mexico City, Mexico; and Saly, Senegal.

The MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase has become a springboard to the NBA from its official minor league, with more than 60 players earning GATORADE Call-Ups during or immediately following the last 14 Showcases.

Last season, 11 players signed NBA contracts coming out of the Showcase, including Westchester Knicks guard Trey Burke. He went on to average 12.8 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 50.3 percent from the field in 36 games with the New York Knicks.

The Mad Ants game schedule is below. A broadcast schedule for the event will be released at a later date.

Thursday, December 20

Fort Wayne at Salt Lake City, 5 pm

Saturday, December 22

South Bay at Fort Wayne, 12:00 pm