2015 Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic Matchups Announced

21st annual men's doubleheader culminating event for Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research

Four storied college basketball programs - UConn, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia - headline the 2015 Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015, with proceeds benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The 21st annual event will be on ESPN from New York City's famed Madison Square Garden.

All four teams have been ranked in the early part of the 2014 season. The current AP poll includes No. 6 Virginia, No. 22 West Virginia, No. 19 Maryland and defending national champion UConn who was as high as No. 17 in the first two weeks of the season.

The early-season event will conclude the ninth annual Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research that begins on December 2 in 2015. The weeklong initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs features special content to help raise funds for cancer research. In 2013, Jimmy V Week raised a record $1.8 million, bringing the seven-year total of contributions to more than $8.2 million.

The 2014 Jimmy V Week will culminate with the Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic Presented by Corona - from Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Dec. 9, on ESPN: No. 7 Villanova vs. Illinois at 7 p.m., followed by Indiana vs. No. 4 Louisville at 9 p.m.

West Virginia vs. Virginia: The all-time series stands at 8-8 with the last meeting dating back to the 1985 National Invitation Tournament, a 56-55 UVA victory. Virginia played in the 2000 Jimmy V Classic, a 107-89 win over Tennessee. West Virginia participated in 2008, a 68-65 loss to Davidson.

Maryland vs. UConn: UConn holds a 4-2 advantage in the series with the last four meetings on a neutral court. The Huskies only appearance in the Jimmy V Classic came against then-No. 25 NC State, a 69-65 defeat, in the 2012 event. Maryland will be playing in its first Jimmy V Classic.

Coaches Quotes

"We are delighted to be an invited once again to participate in the Jimmy V Classic. The Jimmy V Classic is one of the premier events during the college basketball season. We are honored to play in such a special event for a great cause, and I know our fans will be excited to see us play on ESPN and in Madison Square Garden, a place where we have had great memories over the years. Most importantly, the Jimmy V Classic and Jimmy V Week brings awareness to such a terrible disease because every one of us has been affected by cancer in one way or another. When we lost our mother in 2003, my family and I started the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund, and we have raised almost a million dollars in cancer research. We all need to join the fight to end this deadly disease." - Bob Huggins, West Virginia head coach

"We are certainly honored to play West Virginia in the 2015 Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic." Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said. "To have an opportunity to be part of this classic and what it stands for, and to play a quality opponent at The Garden is great for our program." - Tony Bennett, Virginia head coach

"We are excited that our program will have the opportunity to play on the national stage in one of the premier early-season tournaments in the country. It's a tremendous field comprised of some of the nation's top programs. It is also an honor to compete in this event, which for more than two decades has raised money and awareness in the fight against cancer." - Mark Turgeon, Maryland head coach

"We at UConn are honored and proud to again be asked to participate in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. First and foremost, we are pleased to be able to help the V Foundation, which does such an outstanding job funding research to move us closer to someday wiping out this terrible disease.

Secondly, we are looking forward to playing against another great program in Maryland, and in such an exciting basketball atmosphere as Madison Square Garden, where our fans always give us such tremendous support." - Kevin Ollie, UConn head coach

Tickets for the Jimmy V Classic will go on sale in the fall of 2015. Ticket prices range from $15-$275 and will be available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone at (866) 858-0008 and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

About The V Foundation

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $130 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. Administrative and fundraising expenses are paid by the Foundation's endowment. The Foundation awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Committee. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes two Labor Day weekend college football games; 11 college bowl games and eight college basketball events, which accounts for approximately 200 hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over a half a million attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai'i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Orlando, Fla.) and Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

Armed Forces Classic (U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, PR); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men's & Women's Basketball Classics Presented by Corona (New York City & Notre Dame, Ind.); Orlando Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan, PR) and State Farm Champions Classic (Indianapolis)

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