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UMass Basketball To Play In Carbondale Region Of 2K Sports Classic
Oct. 2, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass basketball team has received the final piece to its 2008-09 schedule as the Minutemen will be opening the season at Southern Illinois University as part of the Carbondale Regional in the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches Vs. Cancer. UMass will be facing Arkansas-Monticello in the first round on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. ET. With UMass moving from the originally-scheduled Ann Arbor Regional at Michigan, the Minutemen will be hosting a regional in the 2009 Legends Classic, which is also run by the Gazelle Group. The UMass/Arkansas-Monticello winner will face the winner of the Southern Illinois/California (Pa.) winner in the Carbondale Regional final on Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. The consolation game will be held on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. The winner of the Carbondale Regional will face the winner of the Durham Regional which is hosted by Duke. That 2K Sports Classic semifinal will take place on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m., at Madison Square Garden in New York. The winners of the Ann Arbor and Los Angeles regionals (hosted by Michigan and UCLA) will meet in the second semifinal on Nov. 20 at approximately 9 p.m. The championship game will take place at approximately 7:30 p.m., on Nov. 21. It will be preceeded by the consolation game at 5 p.m. All of the games from Madison Square Garden will be televised live on ESPN2. UMass is seeking to play at the Garden for the second time in as many seasons as the Minutemen advanced to the NIT Final. Looking to 2009, UMass will host a regional in the Legends Classic, which finishes with semifinals and championship round at the new Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. More details and dates will come at a later date. This year's Legends Classic finishes on Nov. 28-29. Here is the complete release from the Gazelle Group regarding the 2008 2K Sports Classic. Princeton, N.J. -- The complete 16-team field for the 2008 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, the nation's premier season-opening college basketball tournament, has been announced. Duke, UCLA, Michigan and Southern Illinois will serve as the four regional hosts for the tournament. The Regional Rounds will take place between November 10-13 with each regional winner advancing to the Championship Rounds, November 20th & 21st, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A total of ten games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. ESPN2 will televise both Championship Round doubleheaders on November 20th and 21st. ESPNU will televise two games from each of the Durham, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles Regional Rounds. Outlined below are the dates, locations and match-ups for the tournament. Click HERE for a complete bracket with TV Times (All times listed are ET).
----- CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS ----- Championship Doubleheader
----- REGIONAL ROUNDS ----- Carbondale Regional Rounds Ann Arbor Regional Rounds
Los Angeles Regional Rounds TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round ticket packages at Madison Square Garden are ON SALE NOW and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 212.307.7171 or through Ticketmaster.com. In the 2007 2K Sports Classic Championship Game, the Memphis Tigers defeated the Connecticut Huskies, 81-70. Memphis went on to play for the national title against Kansas. Additionally, three of the last seven NCAA Tournament champions have begun their seasons at the 2K Sports Classic, including Maryland (2001-02), Syracuse (2003-04) and Florida (2004-05). The inclusion of Division II teams in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is a result of recent NCAA legislation increasing the number of games that teams are allowed to play and the increased number of early season tournaments. Additionally, there is an interesting history dating back to 1982 when NAIA Chaminade upset the nation's top ranked team, Virginia, in a season opening tournament. Currently, these events can provide opportunities for teams to gain exposure which would not otherwise exist by giving them the chance to represent their institution on a national stage and give their student-athletes a competitive experience unlike the rest of their schedule. 2K Sports will be the title sponsor of the event for the fourth consecutive year. 2K Sports develops and publishes the popular and highly acclaimed 2K series of sports video games including the "NBA 2K" series - the best selling and best rated next-generation basketball videogame on the market. 2K Sports is known for delivering the most innovative and realistic sports simulation gaming experience to fans every year. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community leadership and celebrity of the nation's basketball coaches, to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer. Since 1996, the event has raised more than $4 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer. The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com. Visit coachesvscancer.com for more information on the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
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