New features for College Hoops 2K8 were announced today by 2K Sports, the game’s publisher. A brand new feature in the game is the All-American Training Challenge, offering up a series of passing, shooting and defensive tests against the player. The game will also bring in the 6th Man Advantage, which brings in a new level of interactivity to the game, according to the announcement.

“This year, the development team has added more remarkable new features in College Hoops 2K8 than ever before,? said Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “Having a compelling and entertaining atmosphere is essential for a college basketball title and the 6th Man Advantage adds a new gameplay element that allows gamers to tap into the crowd’s energy to benefit their team. With the All-American Training Challenge, gamers will go head-to-head with some of the best college basketball student-athletes in recent history in unique practice drills that provide a fun challenge while improving your College Hoops skills at the same time.”

More information on these new features after the jump. The game will be available later this Fall on PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360.

In the All-American Training Challenge, players will be able to improve their game skills by competing in passing, shooting, and defensive tests against former college basketball standouts like Mike Conley Jr. of Ohio State, Julian Wright of Kansas, Glen ?Big Baby? Davis of LSU, Alando Tucker of Wisconsin, Al Thornton of Florida State, J.J. Redick of Duke, and College Hoops 2K8 cover athlete, Greg Oden of Ohio State. Gamers can progress through the challenge drills against these great players while tracking their best times and highest scores in the game. With multiplayer support for up to four players, gamers can compete against their friends to see who has the best College Hoops skills.

College basketball fans will truly feel the benefit of playing in front of a frenzied crowd?be it at home or in a neutral tournament venue?with the 6th Man Advantage where the energy of a team?s fans can motivate a team to play harder and with more confidence. During a game, the 6th Man Meter measures the current energy and excitement level of the crowd. By scoring often, playing good defense, and raising the excitement level of the crowd, the 6th Man Meter will rise. Once the meter is full, the home team will gain the advantage of playing with less fatigue for a brief period while the opposing team will start to lose confidence in their playing ability. The 6th Man Advantage delivers a realistic element with how a great crowd can inspire their team to victory.