Kansas to Face Memphis in Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic Dec. 7 in New York City

April 30, 2010

Kansas men’s basketball will face Memphis for the third time in the last four years when the two teams will match up in the 2010 Jimmy V Basketball Classic on Tuesday, December 7, in New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.

Kansas will face Memphis at 6 p.m. (Central), while Michigan State will play Syracuse at 8 p.m. Both contests will be televised by ESPN.

Kansas edged Memphis 59-57 in its second game of the 2009-10 season in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in St. Louis. Previously, KU defeated Memphis 75-68 in overtime in the 2008 NCAA National Championship in San Antonio.

On Dec. 6, the Jimmy V Women’s Classic will take place for the first time with Texas A&M at Duke at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. The two early-season college basketball events showcase top programs on ESPN and ESPN2 will conclude the fourth annual Jimmy V Week, a weeklong initiative Dec. 1-7 across multiple ESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raise funds for cancer research.

Tickets for the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic will go on sale in September via Ticketmaster and at the Madison Square Garden Box Office.

16th Annual Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic

Highlights of the event showcasing four of the nation’s elite programs:

– All four teams will be making a third appearance in the event; Michigan State is 2-0, Memphis 1-1, and Kansas and Syracuse are 0-2. It will mark the first time any team has played more than twice in the men’s Classic.

– Three of the four teams finished the past season in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ top 10 (Michigan State at No. 4, Kansas at No. 6 and Syracuse at No. 8).

Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic Dinner Oct. 13

The head coaches for all six Classic teams are expected to appear at the 16th Jimmy V Basketball Classic Dinner Auction to be held Wednesday, Oct. 13, at New York’s Chelsea Piers’ PIER SIXTY, presented by ESPN, Madison Square Garden, and The V Foundation. Proceeds from the dinner and auction will benefit The V Foundation to fund cancer research. For additional information or to reserve tickets call The V Foundation at 1-800-4JimmyV or log on to www.jimmyv.org.

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 $95 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. The Foundation, which has received seven consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.