2K Sports Classic

This article is about the tournament known as the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic from 1995 to 2011. For the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held from 2012 to 2014, see Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

The 2K Classic is an annual college basketball tournament played in November at the beginning of the season and televised by ESPN. Originally known as the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the tournament was first played in 1995 as a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society, and produced by the Gazelle Group, Inc., in an effort to raise funds for cancer research. In 2012, the tournament beneficiary became the Wounded Warrior Project, resulting in the tournament's new name. A new annual college basketball tournament benefiting cancer research, also called the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic and hosted by the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was held from 2012 to 2014.[1]

In the 2K Classic's current format, eight teams from eight separate conferences are invited to the tournament. First- and second-round games are held at regional sites selected before the tournament. The semifinals and finals are held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Michigan is the reigning 2K Classic champion, defeating SMU 76–54 in the championship game on November 18, 2016.

History

The first Classic was held in December 1995 at the Atlantic City Convention Center and consisted of only four teams playing two separate games with no championship game. In 1997, the tournament expanded to feature a championship game between the two winners and a consolation game between the losers. The venue was moved to Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and was moved again in 1998 to its current location at Madison Square Garden. In 2002, the championship game was dropped and four more teams were added to bring the total to eight teams, playing only one game each. In 2004, the tournament expanded to its present format, featuring 12 teams in four different regions. The host teams of the two first round games in each region meet in New York in a semifinal round, with the winners of the semi-final games meeting for the championship and the two losers meeting in the consolation game.

Yearly champions, runners-up, and MVPs

Year Winner Score Opponent Tournament MVP Other participants
2016 Michigan 76-54 SMU Zak Irvin, Michigan Pittsburgh, Marquette
2015 Duke 86-84 Georgetown Grayson Allen, Duke Wisconsin, VCU
2014 Texas 71-55 California Jonathan Holmes, Texas Syracuse, Iowa
2013 Connecticut 59-58 Indiana Shabazz Napier, Connecticut Boston College, Washington
2012 Alabama 77-55 Villanova Trevor Releford, Alabama Oregon State, Purdue
2011 Mississippi State 67-57 Arizona Arnett Moultre, Mississippi State St. John's, Texas A&M
2010 Pittsburgh 68-66 Texas Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh Illinois, Maryland
2009 Syracuse 87-71 North Carolina Wes Johnson, Syracuse California, Ohio State
2008 Duke 71-56 Michigan Kyle Singler, Duke UCLA, Southern Illinois
2007 Memphis 81-70 Connecticut Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis Gardner-Webb, Oklahoma
2006 Maryland 62-60 Michigan State D.J. Strawberry, Maryland St. John's, Texas
2005 Florida 75-70 Syracuse Taurean Green, Florida Texas Tech, Wake Forest
2004 Syracuse 77-62 Memphis Hakim Warrick, Syracuse Mississippi State, St. Mary's
2003 Showcase Format - No Tournament
2002 Showcase Format - No Tournament
2001 Arizona 75-71 Florida Jason Gardner, Arizona VCU, Oregon
2000 Kansas 82-74 St. John's Kenny Gregory, Kansas Kentucky, UCLA
1999 Stanford 72-58 Iowa Jarron Collins, Stanford Connecticut, Duke
1998 Temple 59-48 Wake Forest Lamont Barnes, Temple Georgetown, Illinois
1997 Princeton 38-36 North Carolina State Brian Earl, Princeton Georgia, Texas
1996 Showcase Format - No Tournament
1995 Showcase Format - No Tournament

Most appearances

School
Syracuse
5
Texas
5
Memphis
4
St. John's
4
Alabama
3
Alcorn State
3
California
3
UConn
3
Duke
3
Marquette
3
Maryland
3
Temple
3
UC-Irvine
3
Wake Forest
3

Participants and brackets

2016[2]

  Semifinals
November 17
    Championship
November 18
                 
   Pittsburgh 67  
   SMU 76    
       SMU 54
       Michigan 76
   Michigan 79    
   Marquette 61   Consolation
 
 Pittsburgh 78
   Marquette 75

2015

  Semifinals
November 20
ESPN2
    Championship
November 22
ESPN
                 
  5  Duke 79  
   VCU 71    
      5  Duke 86
       Georgetown 84
   Wisconsin 61    
   Georgetown 71   Consolation
November 22
ESPN2
 
 VCU 73
   Wisconsin 74

2014

  Semifinals
November 20
ESPN2
    Championship
November 21
ESPN2
                 
  10  Texas 71  
   Iowa 57    
      10  Texas 71
       California 55
  23  Syracuse 59    
   California 73   Consolation
November 21
 
23  Syracuse 66
   Iowa 63

[3]

2013

  Semifinals
November 21
ESPN2
    Championship
November 22
ESPN2
                 
   Indiana 102  
     Washington 84    
       Indiana 58
      18  Connecticut 59
  18  Connecticut 72    
   Boston College 70   Consolation
November 22
ESPNU
 
 Washington 78
   Boston College 89

[4]

2012

  Semifinals
November 15
ESPN2
    Championship
November 16
ESPN2
                 
   Alabama 65  
   Oregon State 62    
       Alabama 77
       Villanova 55
   Villanova 89    
   Purdue 81OT   Consolation
November 16
ESPNU
 
 Oregon State 66
   Purdue 58

[5]

2011

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  19  Texas A&M 60  
   Mississippi State 69    
       Mississippi State 67
      15  Arizona 57
   St. John's 72    
  15  Arizona 81   Consolation
 
19  Texas A&M 58
   St. John's 57

[6]

2010

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  5  Pittsburgh 79  
   Maryland 70    
      5  Pittsburgh 68
       Texas 66
  13  Illinois 84    
   Texas 90OT   Consolation
 
13  Illinois 80
   Maryland 76

[7]

2009

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  24  Syracuse 95  
  12  California 73    
      24  Syracuse 87
      4  North Carolina 71
  4  North Carolina 77    
  15  Ohio State 73   Consolation
 
12  California 60
  15  Ohio State 76

[8]

2008

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
   Michigan 55  
  4  UCLA 52    
      5  Duke 71
       Michigan 56
  5  Duke 83    
   Southern Illinois 58   Consolation
 
4  UCLA 77
   Southern Illinois 60

[9]

2007

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  3  Memphis 63  
     Oklahoma 53    
      3  Memphis 81
       Connecticut 70
   Connecticut 78    
   Gardner-Webb 66   Consolation
 
 Oklahoma 69
   Gardner-Webb 55

2006

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
   Michigan State 63  
  18  Texas 61    
       Maryland 62
       Michigan State 60
   Maryland 92    
   St. John's 60   Consolation
 
18  Texas 77
   St. John's 66

2005

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  16  Syracuse 81  
   Texas Tech 46    
       Florida 75
      16  Syracuse 70
   Florida 77    
  18  Wake Forest 72   Consolation
 
18  Wake Forest 782OT
   Texas Tech 73

2004


  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  6  Syracuse 71  
  14  Mississippi State 58    
      6  Syracuse 77
      23  Memphis 62
  23  Memphis 81    
   Saint Mary's 66   Consolation
 
14  Mississippi State 67
   Saint Mary's 54

2003

Showcase Format No Tournament
Game 1
   
21 Wake Forest 85
Memphis 76
Game 2
   
23 Marquette 52
St. John's 45
Game 3
   
1 Pittsburgh 71
Alabama 62
Game 4
   
18 Saint Joseph's 73
12 Gonzaga 66

2002

Showcase Format No Tournament
Game 1
   
Memphis 70
Syracuse 63
Game 2
   
8 Alabama 68
3 Oklahoma 62
Game 3
   
18 Marquette 73
Villanova 61
Game 4
   
4 Texas 77
16 Georgia 71

2001

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
   Arizona 71  
  2  Maryland 67    
       Arizona 75
      6  Florida 71
  6  Florida 72    
  16  Temple 64   Consolation
 
2  Maryland 82
  16  Temple 74

2000

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  7  Kansas 99  
  17  UCLA 98    
      7  Kansas 82
       St. John's 74
   St. John's 62    
  12  Kentucky 61   Consolation
 
17  UCLA 97
  12  Kentucky 92

1999

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
  13  Stanford 80  
  10  Duke 79OT    
      13  Stanford 72
       Iowa 58
   Iowa 70    
  1  Connecticut 68   Consolation
 
1  Connecticut 71
  10  Duke 66

1998

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
   Wake Forest 75  
   Illinois 73OT    
      7  Temple 59
       Wake Forest 48
  7  Temple 65    
   Georgetown 49   Consolation
 
 Illinois 65
   Georgetown 50

1997

  Semifinals     Championship
                 
   NC State 47  
  19  Georgia 45    
       Princeton 38
       NC State 36
   Princeton 62    
  22  Texas 56   Consolation
 
19  Georgia 89
  22  Texas 87

1996

Showcase Format No Tournament
Game 1
   
Temple 76
Georgia Tech 58
Game 2
   
Saint Joseph's 67
21 Tulsa 64

1995

Showcase Format No Tournament
Game 1
   
Penn State 88
Penn 61
Game 2
   
La Salle 68
Marquette 65

References

External links

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