Jimmy V Women's and Men's Basketball Classics Pairings Announced for Dec. 8 & 9 (The Sports Addict Network)

Women's: Georgia at Rutgers Dec. 8; Men's Doubleheader: Davidson vs. WestVirginia and Texas vs. Villanova from Madison Square Garden Dec. 9 Matchups for the 2008 Jimmy V Women's and Men's Basketball Classics onDecember 8 and 9, respectively, two early-season college basketball eventsshowcasing top programs on ESPN and ESPN2, have been determined withproceeds from each event benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The second annual Jimmy V Week, a week-long initiative across multipleESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raiseawareness for cancer research December 3-9, will culminate with theClassics. The women's game, held at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. for thethird consecutive year, will feature national powers Georgia vs. Rutgersat 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The men's doubleheader, held at the famed MadisonSquare Garden for the sixth consecutive event, will pit defending SouthernConference champion Davidson vs. BIG EAST power West Virginia at 7 p.m.and perennial Big 12 power Texas vs. BIG EAST force Villanova at 9 p.m.,both on ESPN. Beginning later this month, tickets for the Jimmy V Men's BasketballClassic can be purchased through ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmasterat 212-307-7171, or in person at the Madison Square Garden Box Office. Tickets for the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic will be available atthe Rutgers ticket office (866-445-GORU (4678)). Jimmy V Women's Basketball ClassicHighlights of the seventh annual Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic: Georgia will play in its first Jimmy V Classic while Rutgers will make itsthird consecutive appearance following a 68-60 win over Maryland lastyear.Rutgers lost to Connecticut in last years Elite Eight while Georgia lostin the second round to one-seeded North Carolina. Jimmy V Men's Basketball ClassicHighlights of the 14th annual Jimmy V Mens Basketball Classic showcasingfour of the nations elite programs: All four teams ended the season in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll -- #5Texas, #9 Davidson, #17 West Virginia and #24 Villanova - and participatedin the NCAA Tournament with Texas and Davidson making it to the Elite 8and West Virginia and Villanova the Sweet 16.Three teams will make their Jimmy V Classic debut: Davidson, West Virginiaand Villanova. Texas only other game was a 91-83 loss to Arizona in the2003 event.Davidson, led by guard Stephen Curry who averaged 25.9 points per gamelast year, will play in MSG for the first time since an 81-77 loss toSyracuse in an NIT matchup on March 18, 1972. West Virginia and Villanova are two of only five teams to reach the Sweet16 at least three times since 2005 (UCLA, North Carolina and Memphis beingthe other three). Texas is one of three national programs to advance toat least the Sweet 16 in five of the last seven years. Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic Dinner October 14The head coaches for all six Classic teams are expected to appear at the14th annual Jimmy V Basketball Classic Dinner Auction to be held Tuesday,Oct. 14 at New York's Chelsea Piers Pier Sixty. Proceeds from the dinnerand auction will benefit The V Foundation to fund essential cancerresearch. For additional information or to reserve tickets call The VFoundation at 1-800-4JimmyV or log on to www.jimmyv.org. The V FoundationThe V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and thelate Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPNcommentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $70 millionto fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of alldirect cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancerresearch and related programs. The Foundation, which has received fiveconsecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grantsthrough a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a ScientificReview Committee. For more information on The V Foundation or to make adonation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

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