Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Announced
8/9/2002 8:53:01 AM | Men's Basketball
This year the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will feature a new format, featuring eight teams, each playing one game, in a "showcase" style event, rather than the tournament format used in past years.
All eight participating teams are ranked in ESPN.com's "Summer Sizzling 50", including; #3 Oklahoma Sooners, #4 Texas Longhorns, #7 Georgia Bulldogs, #13 Alabama Crimson Tide, #16 Villanova Wildcats, #19 Marquette Golden Eagles, #26 Syracuse Orangemen and #48 Memphis Tigers.
Match-ups for the Event are as follows:ÊÊÊÊÊ
ÊThursday, November 14th - 7:00 PM EST
Syracuse vs. Memphis
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Friday, November 15th- 6:30 PM EST
Villanova vs. Marquette
Texas vs. Georgia
All four games will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
"We are very excited about playing in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic this November," said Syracuse Head Coach and Chair of the Coaches vs. Cancer Council Jim Boeheim. "This event has established itself as the premier pre-season college basketball event in the country. We look forward to opening the college basketball season in New York on November 14th."
Last season, the Arizona Wildcats, then unranked, upset both #5 Florida and #3 Maryland on consecutive nights to be crowned the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic champions. Other past champions include Kansas (2000), Stanford (1999) and Temple (1998).
The Coaches vs. Cancer ¨ program, created by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches exists to leverage the strength, community leadership and celebrity of our country's basketball coaches to raise awareness and in turn, reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society.
The Gazelle Group, producer of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic since 1995, has raised over $2 million for Coaches vs. Cancer ¨.
Tickets are now available through the Madison Square Garden Box Office, by calling TicketMaster at (212)307-7171 or by logging on to the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic page of Ticketmaster.com.
