The 2008 2k Sports Classic -- pits sixteen teams against each other in four regional brackets, with the winners of each advancing to
Madison Square Garden for the semifinals and finals.
Opening round games will be played on November 10. The regional championships will be played on November 11. The "Final Four" at MSG will be played on November 20 and 21.
The tournament is a major fund-raiser for Coaches vs. Cancer, a joint venture of the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Since 1996, the event has raised over $4 million dollars for cancer research.
This years' tournament features college basketball royalty -- 2008 Final Four team UCLA and the winningest active coach in Division I, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, fresh off his Olympic victory.
Here's a look at the seedings, brackets and matchups for the 2008 2k Sports Classic.
Durham Regional
Host: Duke University, Raleigh, NC
- Duke vs. Presbyterian
- Houston vs. Georgia Southern
The Dukies get a patsy in their opener -- the "Blue Hose" of Presbyterian College... who lost 25 games last season. They don't figure to face much of a challenge in the regional final, either... Houston lost four starters from last year's team, and Georgia Southern lost their top three scorers from 2007-08.
Carbondale Regional
Host: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
- Southern Illinois vs. California (PA)
- Massachusetts vs. Arkansas-Monticello
The 2k Sports Tournament typically features a few Division II teams in the regional brackets -- no apologies necessary if you've never heard of some of these guys. (Though anyone who reads
Gregg Easterbrook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback perked up at the mention of California of Pennsylvania.) The regional final should be more interesting, pitting NCAA Tournament regular Southern Illinois against UMass -- the Minutemen will be playing a version of John Calipari's Memphis "Dribble Drive Motion" offense this season.
Los Angeles Regional
Host: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- UCLA vs. Prairie View A&M
- Weber State vs. Miami (OH)
As with Duke, UCLA seems to have a pretty clear path to Madison Square Garden. Though the Bruins lost Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to the NBA Draft, Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and one of the nation's top recruiting classes have Ben Howland looking forward to his fourth straight Final Four.
Ann Arbor Regional
Host: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Michigan vs. Michigan Tech
- IUPUI vs. Northeastern
John Beilein's Wolverines are very thin, and could face a tough test in the final from IUPUI -- the Jaguars are coming off a 26-win season, though they lost guard George Hill to the NBA Draft.
