The seventh season of Las Positas College men’s basketball begins when the Hawks host Gavilan at 2 p.m. on Thursday in the first round of the Tip-Off Classic in Livermore.

The Hawks, coming off their most successful season with a 22-8 record an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the state tournament, are the defending Tip-Off Classic champions. They have won the tournament three out of six times.

With a strong recruiting class and a new interim head coach in Ward Farris, LPC returns two players from last year – guards Julian Redmon and Jovante Evans – to go along with 11 freshmen.

Other first-round games pit Butte against Columbia at 4 p.m., Chabot against Siskiyous at 6 p.m., and Contra Costa against DeAnza at 8 p.m.
The tournament runs through Saturday, Nov. 10, culminating in the 5 p.m. championship game.