Pittsburgh | Texas | Maryland | Illinois Madison Square Garden | New York, N.Y. The 2K Sports Classic is produced by: The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | GazelleGroup.com
SUMMARY OF SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS
- Outline and Description of Sponsor Benefits...................................................... 3
EVENT HISTORY AND INFORMATION
- Miscellaneous Facts............................................................................................. 5 - Results and Awards.............................................................................................. 6 - Demographics of College Basketball..................................................................15 - Event Demographics............................................................................................16 - Madison Square Garden....................................................................................... 17
MEDIA EXPOSURE
- In-Game Television Exposure..............................................................................19 - Commercial Units............................................................................................... 23 - Supplemental Exposure...................................................................................... 24
ON-SITE EXPOSURE & PROMOTIONS
- 7th and 8th Avenue Marquees............................................................................ 25 - Center Hung Scoreboard Mentions....................................................................26 - Customized Promotions..................................................................................... 27 - Sponsor Recognition..........................................................................................28
PRE-GAME HOSPITALITY
- Photographs........................................................................................................29
PRESS COVERAGE
- Summary of Media Exposure..............................................................................31 - Press Releases - Samples of Newspaper & Website Articles
coachesvscancer.com
1
Television exposure
- One (1) :30 commercial unit per game in each nationally televised game during the Regional and Championship Rounds on ESPN2 and ESPNU (total of 4 of ESPN2; total of 4 on ESPNU). - One (1) “First Half Stats� enhancement in each nationally televised game during the Regional and Championship Rounds on ESPN2 and ESPNU (total of 4 on ESPN2; total of 4 on ESPNU). - One (1) on-court decal located inside the key on each end of the floor (total of 2). - Minimum of four (4) minutes per game of unobstructed in-game television exposure on the courtside digital signage (total of 16 minutes on ESPN2).
The Pittsburgh Panthers defeated Texas to win the 2010 Championship
coachesvscancer.com
3
on-site exposure
- “In-arena” exposure on the courtside rotating signage. - Two (2) public address announcements per game. - Two (2) mentions per game on the videoboard. - Two (2) mentions per game on the matrix board. - One (1) on-court promotion per night during a halftime or timeout (total of 2) - One (1) on-site display in the concourse or near the main entrance to the arena (7th Avenue entrance). The display can be used for sampling, coupon distribution, premium item giveaways, etc. - Daily mentions on the 7th and 8th Avenue marquees outside Madison Square Garden and Penn Station beginning one month prior to the Event (three per hour from 6 a.m. to midnight) and any other marquees available at Regional Rounds. - The opportunity to create a halftime or timeout on-court promotation.
Reese’s Courtside LED signage shown Madison Square Garden, on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SportsCenter, and sports highlight shows across the country.
tickets and hospitality
- Sixteen (16) courtside tickets to each night of the Event. - Sixteen (16) invitations to each pre-game hospitality Reception (Championship Rounds only). 4
coachesvscancer.com
- All four games of the Championship Rounds of the 2010 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden were nationally televised on ESPN2. Also, seven of the eight regional round games were nationally televised on either ESPNU (four games) or ESPN3.com (3 games). The eighth game was aired regionally by Comcast SportsNet in both the Baltimore/Washington markets as well as the Seattle market. - ESPN’s top broadcast team of Dick Vitale, Bob Knight, and Dan Shulman were assigned to work the Championship Round games from Madison Square Garden. The network annually uses the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer as a high-profile event to tip-off the college basketball season. - The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer was once again the most highly attended season-opening college basketball event in the country. A total of 136,321 fans attended the 2010 tournament across the seven hosting venues. - The event has averaged 11,517 fans per night in the 13 years at Madison Square Garden. In 2010, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer averaged 11,967 fans over both nights. - Since 1996, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer and The Gazelle Group have raised nearly $5 million for cancer research and awareness programs. - The event has featured three national champions - Florida (2006), Syracuse (2003), and Maryland (2002). The Classic has also had four additional NCAA Final Four teams - Memphis (2008), George Mason (2006), Marquette (2003), and Texas (2003). Over the last eight years, 36 teams that participated in the 2K Sports Classic have gone on the compete in the NCAA Tournament. - In addition to Madison Square Garden, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer has been held at some of the finest home courts in the country, including Cal, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Southern Illinois, Syracuse, Texas, Texas Tech, UAB, UCLA, and Wake Forest.
ESPN’s Dan Shulman and Bob Knight broadcasting live from Madison Square Garden.
coachesvscancer.com
5
2K SPORTS CLASSIC benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer All Times Eastern
REGIONAL ROUNDS
Nov. 8 Nov. 10
SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS
PITTSBURGH REGIONAL
TOLEDO SUBREGIONAL
Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, Pa.
John F. Savage Arena - Toledo, Ohio
#4 Pittsburgh 83, Rhode Island 75 #4 Pittsburgh 97, Illinois-Chicago 54
7:00 ET 7:00 ET
AUSTIN REGIONAL
Nov. 19
Rhode Island 75, Charleston 66 Illinois-Chicago 57, Toledo 51
4:30 ET
Nov. 20
Charleston 78, Illinois-Chicago 66 Rhode Island 76, Toledo 65
4:30 ET
Nov. 21
Illinois-Chicago 74, Rhode Island 68 12:30 ET Charleston 64, Toledo 51
Frank Erwin Center - Austin, Texas
Nov. 8 Nov. 10
#25 Texas 83, Navy 52 #25 Texas 89, Louisiana Tech 58
9:00 ET 9:00 ET
COLLEGE PARK REGIONAL IRVINE SUBREGIONAL
Comcast Center - College Park, Md.
Nov. 8
Maryland 105, Seattle 76
8:00 ET
Nov. 10
Maryland 75, Charleston 74
7:00 ET
CSN-Mid-Atl CSN-NW
Bren Events Center - Irvine, Calif.
CHAMPAIGN REGIONAL
Nov. 19
Louisiana Tech 85, Seattle 72 UC Irvine 75, Navy 60
8:00 ET
Nov. 20
Louisiana Tech 80, Navy 65 UC Irvine 85, Seattle 77
8:00 ET
Nov. 21
Seattle 75, Navy 70 Louisiana Tech 76, UC Irvine 72
6:00 ET
Assembly Hall - Champaign, Ill.
Nov. 8 Nov. 10
#16 Illinois 79, UC Irvine 63 #16 Illinois 84, Toledo 45
8:00 ET 8:00 ET
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS Madison Square Garden - New York, N.Y.
NOVEMBER 18
NOVEMBER 19
#4 PITTSBURGH 7:00 ET #4 PITTSBURGH 79-70 7:00 ET MARYLAND #4 PITTSBURGH 68-66 #16 ILLINOIS 9:00 ET #22 TEXAS 90-84 (OT) #22 TEXAS MARYLAND 5:00 ET
#16 ILLINOIS 80-76
#16 ILLINOIS
6
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, NJ 08540 | 609-921-1300 | gazellegroup.com Visit CoachesvsCancer.com for more information coachesvscancer.com
2010 2K SPORTS CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 19 Championship Game #4 Pittsburgh 68, #22 Texas 66 Consolation Game #16 Illinois 80, Maryland 76
Pittsburgh Regional
November 18 Semifinals #4 Pittsburgh 79, Maryland 70 #22 Texas 90, #16 Illinois 84 (OT)
Austin Regional
2010 All-Tournament Team Presented by Toyota Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh) - MVP presented by American Airlines
Jordan Williams (Maryland) Demetri McCamey (Illinois) Jordan Hamilton (Texas) Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh)
November 10 #4 Pittsburgh 97, Illinois-Chicago 54 November 8 #4 Pittsburgh 83, Rhode Island 75 November 10 #25 Texas 89, Louisiana Tech 58 November 8 #25 Texas 83, Navy 52
College Park Regional November 10 Maryland 75, Charleston 74 November 8 Maryland 105, Seattle 76
Champaign Regional November 10 #16 Illinois 79, UC Irvine 63 November 8 #16 Illinois 84, Toledo 45 Toledo Subregional November 21 Illinois-Chicago 74, Rhode Island 68 Charleston 64, Toledo 51 November 20 Charleston 78, Illinois-Chicago 66 Rhode Island 76, Toledo 65 November 19 Rhode Island 76, Charleston 66 Illinois-Chicago 57, Toledo 51
Irvine Subregional
Tournament MVP Ashton Gibbs drives to the basket during Championship Round game action. coachesvscancer.com
November 21 Seattle 75, Navy 70 Louisiana Tech 76, UC Irvine 72 November 20 Louisiana Tech 80, Navy 65 UC Irvine 85, Seattle 77 November 19 Louisiana Tech 85, Seattle 72 UC Irvine 75, Navy 60
7
2009 2K SPORTS CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 20 Championship Game #24 Syracuse 87, #4 North Carolina 71 Consolation Game #15 Ohio State 76, #12 California 70
Syracuse Regional
November 19 Semifinals #24 Syracuse 95, #12 California 73 #4 North Carolina 77, #15 Ohio State 73
Chapel Hill Regional
2009 All-Tournament Team Presented by Sports Illustrated Wes Johnson (Syracuse) - MVP presented by American Airlines
Jerome Randle (California) Evan Turner (Ohio State) Marcus Ginyard (North Carolina) Andy Rautins (Syracuse)
November 11 #25 Syracuse 100, Robert Morris 60 November 9 #25 Syracuse 75, Albany 43 November 11 #4 North Carolina 89, NC Central 42 November 9 #4 North Carolina 88, FIU 72
Columbus Regional November 12 #17 Ohio State 72, James Madison 44 November 9 #17 Ohio State 100, Alcorn State 60
Berkeley Regional November 11 #12 California 95, Detroit 61 November 9 #12 California 75, Murray State 70 Albany Subregional November 22 Detroit 79, Alcorn State 59 Albany 71, Robert Morris 66 November 21 Robert Morris 107, Alcorn State 76 Detroit 66, Albany 54 November 20 Detroit 71, Robert Morris 59 Albany 71, Alcorn State 55
Miami Subregional
Tournament MVP Wes Johnson dunks during Championship Round game action. 8
November 23 James Madison 79, NC Central 66 Murray State 84, FIU 71 November 22 James Madison 81, FIU 68 Murray State 84, NC Central 61 November 20 Murray State 71, James Madison 43 FIU 83, NC Central 73
coachesvscancer.com
2008 2K SPORTS CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 21 Championship Game #5 Duke 71, Michigan 56 Consolation Game #4 UCLA 77, Southern Illinois 60
Durham Regional November 11 #5 Duke 97, Georgia Southern 54 Houston 76, Presbyterian 57 November 10 #5 Duke 80, Presbyterian 49 Georgia Southern 65, Houston 63
November 20 Semifinals #5 Duke 83, Southern Illinois 58 Michigan 55, #4 UCLA 52
Carbondale Regional
2008 All-Tournament Team Presented by Sports Illustrated Kyle Singler (Duke) - MVP presented by American Airlines Kevin Dillard (Southern Illinois) Darren Collison (UCLA) Manny Harris (Michigan) Gerald Henderson (Duke)
November 12 Southern Illinois 80, Massachusetts 73 November 11 Southern Illinois 66, California (Pa.) 52 Massachusetts 90, Arkansas-Monticello 71
Los Angeles Regional November 13 #4 UCLA 64, Miami (Ohio) 59 Weber State 78, Prairie View A&M 68 November 12 #4 UCLA 82, Prairie View A&M 58 Miami (Ohio) 70, Weber State 66
Ann Arbor Regional November 12 Michigan 76, Northeastern 56 IUPUI 65, Michigan Tech 51 November 11 Michigan 77, Michigan Tech 55 Northeastern 73, IUPUI 60
Tournament MVP Kyle Singler shoots during Championship Round game action. coachesvscancer.com
9
2007 2K Sports College Hoops CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 16 Championship Game #3 Memphis 81, Connecticut 70 Consolation Game Oklahoma 69, Gardner-Webb 55 November 15 Semifinals #3 Memphis 63, Oklahoma 53 Connecticut 78, Gardner-Webb 66
Lexington Regional
2007 All-Tournament Team Presented by Sports Illustrated Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) - MVP presented by American Airlines
A.J. Price (Connecticut) Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) Grayson Flittner (Gardner-Webb) Derrick Rose (Memphis)
November 7 Gardner-Webb 84, #20 Kentucky 68 Central Arkansas 69, Alabama A&M 59 November 6 #20 Kentucky 67, Central Arkansas 40 Gardner-Webb 69, Alabama A&M 55
Memphis Regional November 6 #3 Memphis 80, Richmond 63 Tennessee-Martin 66, Maine 62 November 5 #3 Memphis 102, Tennessee-Martin 71 Richmond 44, Maine 42
Norman Regional November 9 Oklahoma 80, Denver 50 San Francisco 87, East Central Oklahoma 70 November 8 Oklahoma 71, San Francisco 55 Denver 76, East Central Oklahoma 75
Storrs Regional November 8 Connecticut 82, Buffalo 57 Morgan State 77, Ohio Valley 66 November 7 Connecticut 69, Morgan State 65 Buffalo 89, Ohio Valley 82
Tournament MVP Chris Douglas-Roberts drives to the basket against Oklahoma. 10
coachesvscancer.com
2006 2K SPORTS College hoops CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 17 Championship Game Maryland 62, Michigan State 60 Consolation Game Texas 77, St. John’s 76
Austin Regional November 10 St. Bonaventure 68, Alcorn State 59 Texas 92, Chicago State 66 November 9 Chicago State 98, St. Bonaventure 95 Texas 103, Alcorn State 44
November 16 Semifinals Maryland 92, St. John’s 60 Michigan State 63, #18 Texas 61
East Lansing Regional
2006 All-Tournament Team Presented by The Hartford D.J. Strawberry (Maryland) - MVP presented by The Hartford Kevin Durant (Texas) Drew Neitzel (Michigan State) Avery Patterson (St. John’s) James Gist (Maryland)
November 9 Central Michigan 71, Brown 58 Michigan State 86, Youngstown State 61 November 8 Youngstown State 74, Central Michigan 50 Michigan State 45, Brown 34
New York Regional November 11 Loyola 65, North Florida 50 St. John’s 72, Navy 49 November 10 Navy 73, Loyola 61 St. John’s 74, North Florida 53
College Park Regional November 8 Hampton 74, New Orleans 73 Maryland 81, Vermont 63 November 7 Vermont 82, New Orleans 65 Maryland 102, Hampton 75
Tournament MVP D.J. Strawberry dunks in the Championship Game. coachesvscancer.com
11
2005 2K SPORTS College hoops CLASSIC BENEFITING COACHES VS. CANCER
Championship Rounds
Regional Rounds
November 18 Championship Game Florida 75, #16 Syracuse 70 Consolation Game #18 Wake Forest 78, Texas Tech 73
Lubbock Regional
November 17 Semifinals Florida 77, #18 Wake Forest 72 (2OT) #16 Syracuse, Texas Tech 46
November 11 Texas Tech 74, Georgia Southern 61 San Jose State 82, Portland 53 November 10 Texas Tech 88, San Jose State 54 Georgia Southern 89, Portland 75
Winston Salem Regional
November 11 #18 Wake Forest 83, George Mason 78 (OT) 2005 All-Tournament Team UC Irvine 94, Mississippi Valley St. 40 Presented by Hanes Beefy-T November 10 Taurean Green (Florida) - MVP presented by Hanes Beefy-T #18 Wake Forest 78, Mississippi Valley St. 64 Al Horford (Florida) George Mason 79, UC Irvine 56 Gerry McNamara (Syracuse) Trent Strickland (Wake Forest) Gainesville Regional Jarrius Jackson (Texas Tech) November 10 Florida 83, Albany 64 Oakland 72, St. Peter’s 69 November 9 Florida 80, St. Peter’s 51 Albany 90, Oakland 73
Syracuse Regional November 9 #16 Syracuse 67, Cornell 62 Bethune-Cookman 63, Saint Francis 52 November 8 #16 Syracuse 68, Bethune-Cookman 37 Cornell 75, Saint Francis 54
Tournament MVP Taurean Green drives to the basket in the Championship Game. 12
coachesvscancer.com
2004 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 19-18, 2004 Championship Game #6 Syracuse 77, #24 Memphis 62 Consolation Game #12 Mississippi State 67, Saint Mary’s 54 Semifinals #24 Memphis 81, Saint Mary’s 66 #6 Syracuse, #12 Mississippi State 58
All-Tournament Team Hakim Warrick (Syracuse) - MVP Gerry McNamara (Syracuse) Rodney Carney (Memphis) Lawrence Roberts (Mississippi State) Daniel Kickert (Saint Mary’s)
2003 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 13-14, 2003 #21 Wake 85, Memphis 76 #23 Marquette 52, St. John’s 45 #22 Pittsburgh 71, Alabama 62 #18 Saint Joseph’s 73, #10 Gonzaga 66
Players of the Game Taron Downey (Wake Forest) Travis Diener (Marquette) Carl Krauser (Pittsburgh) Jameer Nelson (Saint Joseph’s)
2002 - AT&T Wireless Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 14-15, 2002 Memphis 70, Syracuse 63 #8 Alabama 68, #3 Oklahoma 62 #18 Marquette 73, Villanova 61 #4 Texas 77, #16 Georgia 71
Players of the Game Jeremy Hunt (Memphis) Mo Williams (Alabama) Dwyane Wade (Marquette) TJ Ford (Texas)
2001 - IKON Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer Madison Square Garden November 8-9, 2001 Championship Game Arizona 75, #6 Florida 71 Consolation Game #2 Maryland 82, #16 Temple 74 Semifinals #6 Florida 72, #16 Temple 64 Arizona 71, #2 Maryland 67
All-Tournament Team Jason Gardner (Arizona) - MVP Will Bynum (Arizona) Brett Nelson (Florida) Lynn Greer (Temple) Juan Dixon (Maryland)
coachesvscancer.com
13
2000 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 9-10, 2000 Championship Game #7 Kansas 82, St. John's 74 Consolation Game #17 UCLA 97, #12 Kentucky 92 Semifinals #7 Kansas 99, #17 UCLA 98 St. John's 62, #12 Kentucky 61
All-Tournament Team Kenny Gregory (Kansas) - MVP Omar Cook (St. John’s) Keith Bogans (Kentucky) Drew Gooden (Kansas) Earl Watson (UCLA)
1999 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 11-12, 1999 Championship Game #13 Stanford 72, Iowa 58 Consolation Game #1 Connecticut 71, #10 Duke 66 Semifinals #13 Stanford 80, #10 Duke 79 (ot) Iowa 70, #1 Connecticut 68
All-Tournament Team Jaron Collins (Stanford) - MVP Jacob Jaacks (Iowa) Jason Collins (Stanford) Kevin Freeman (Connecticut) Chris Carawell (Duke)
1998 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Madison Square Garden November 10-11, 1998 Championship Game #7 Temple 59, Wake Forest 48 Consolation Game Illinois 65, Georgetown 50 Semifinals Wake Forest 75, Illinois 73 (ot) #7 Temple 65, Georgetown 49
All-Tournament Team Lamont Barnes (Temple) - MVP Robert O’Kelley (Wake Forest) Corey Bradford (Illinois) Quincy Wadley (Temple) Anthony Perry (Georgetown)
1997 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Continental Airlines Arena November 11-12, 1997 Championship Game Princeton 38, N.C. State 36 Consolation Game #19 Georgia 89, #22 Texas 87 Semifinals N.C. State 47, #19 Georgia 45 Princeton 62, #22 Texas 56
All-Tournament Team Brian Earl (Princeton) - MVP Luke Axtell (Texas) Kenny Inge (NC State) Steve Goodrich (Princeton) Ray Harrison (Georgia)
1996 - Atlantic City Shootout Atlantic City Convention Center December 7, 1996 Temple 76, Georgia Tech 58 St. Joseph's 67, Tulsa 64
1995 - Atlantic City Shootout Atlantic City Convention Center December 9, 1995 Penn State 88, Penn 61 LaSalle 68, Marquette 65
14
coachesvscancer.com
MALE 25-54 COLLEGE BASKETBALL VIEWERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PURCHASE AND USE A WIDE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAN THE AVERAGE U.S. ADULT. Category
Product
Index
Automotive
Truck: net any vehicle DM SUV: net any vehicle DM Any Vehicle: net any vehicle DM
182 199 186
Automotive Aftermarket
Automotive Do-It-Yourselfers Gasoline: spent $50+ past month Motor Oil: bought/changed any past year Tires: bought any past year
136 155 151 156
Beverages
Regular Domestic Beer: drank past week Imported Beer: drank past week Regular Soft Drinks: drank past week
149 160 145
Computers
Personal Computers: bought past year PC Hardware: bought past year Online Internet Service: use daily
150 162 179
Electronics & Entertainment
Electronics Store: shopped past month PC Software: bought $200+ past year Movies: Prefer to see in first two weeks of release
151 170 147
Financial
Securities: current market value of investments $50K+ Credit Cards: average monthly expenditure $450+
239 192
Household Appliances & Furnishings
Home Improvement: did work yourself past year Home Improvement/Hardware/Appliance Store: shopped past month Household Furnishings: big ticket items bought past year
169 151
Insurance
Auto/Vehicle Insurance: DM for company used Life Insurance: DM for company used Homeowner’s/Property Insurance: DM for company used
156 189 177
Men’s Apparel & Sports Apparel
Casual Slacks: bought any past year Jeans: bought any past year Athletic/Workout Wear: bought any past year Cross-Training Shoes: bought any past year
183 156 229 151
Personal Supplies
Razor Blades: used any past 6 months Shaving Creams/Gels: used any past 6 months Headache Remedies & Pain Relievers: used past 6 months Prescription Drugs: any prescription filled past month
162 152 149
152
151 Restaurants
Fast Food Restaurants: dined 9+ times past month Family Restaurants & Steak Houses: dined past month
166 166
Travel
Hotels: Business, stayed 5+ nights past year Airline Travel: Business, any round-trip flights past year Car Rental: Business Use, any rentals past year
192 223 192
To be read: Male 25-54 College Basketball viewers are +82% more likely to be decision makers for the purchase or lease of a truck than the average U.S. Adult.
coachesvscancer.com
15
MALE 75% FEMALE 25% AGE 21.5% of Men are 18-34 yrs old 36.6% of Men are 18-49 yrs old 32.2% of Men are 25-54 yrs old 47.5% of Adults are 18-49 yrs old EDUCATION 74% are college graduates or have attended college 13% have a high school diploma 13% have attended some high school TV VIEWERSHIP 31% watch college basketball less than 2 hours per week 34% watch college basketball 2-5 hours per week 27% watch college basketball more than 5 hours per week EATING OUT 22% eat out 0-1 times per week 37% eat out 1-3 times per week 24% eat out 3-5 times per week 9% eat out 5-8 times per week 6% eat out more than 8 times per week CAR OR TRUCK HOME OWNERS FAMILY
16
75% own a car or truck 46% own their home 54% do not have any children 35% have 1-3 children
coachesvscancer.com
“THE GARDEN” On so many nights across it’s 125 year history, the Garden has been THE place to be. Today, Madison Square Garden extends it’s greatness onto busy Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets in Manhattan. The first Garden opened on Fifth Avenue in 1879 and has since changed locations and revolutionized into the 19,763-seat arena at its current location. The Garden is no stranger to college basketball, hosting the very first major postseason tournament, the National Invitational Tournament, in 1938. Well known across the globe, the Garden is more than an arena. Nearly five million fans pass through the Garden’s turnstiles every year, taking in such familiar staples as the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, concerts, world championship boxing, and of course, college basketball.
“It’s known simply as ‘The Garden,’ a perfect appellation for a place where legends grow. To millions, those two words mean just one thing: Madison Square Garden, billed in typical New York hype as THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ARENA.” “It doesn’t matter if it’s Michael Jordan, or Muhammad Ali, or Sinatra, or the Pope... They know the stage is brighter here than anyplace else!” “Whether sitting in the locker room or waiting in the wings, athletes and artists view the Garden as the pinnacle: the best venue in the biggest city before the brightest audiences.” “The Garden is more than a building. The history is so rich, and people want to be a part of that history.”
- From “Looking Back at 125 Years of Madison Square Garden” By AP Writer Larry McShane
coachesvscancer.com
17
Reese’s courtside LED signage during Championship Rounds at Madison Square Garden. Minutes of unobstructed exposure on the courtside signage Date 11/18/2010 11/18/2010 11/19/2010 11/19/2010
Game Pittsburgh vs. Maryland Illinois vs. Texas Maryland vs. Illinois Pittsburgh vs. Texas
Network ESPN2 ESPN2 ESPN2 ESPN2 Totals: Amount of time in excess of contract:
Timing 4:48 5:46 6:31 5:56 23:01 7:01
Minutes of unobstructed exposure on the court decals Date 11/18/2010 11/18/2010 11/19/2010 11/19/2010
coachesvscancer.com
Game Pittsburgh vs. Maryland Illinois vs. Texas Maryland vs. Illinois Pittsburgh vs. Texas
Network ESPN2 ESPN2 ESPN2 ESPN2 Totals:
Timing 41:43 41:30 36:32 36:37 2:36:22
19
Reese’s courtside LED signage
20
coachesvscancer.com
Reese’s courtside LED signage and decal (left) which was displayed above the foul line on both ends of the court during Championship Rounds.
coachesvscancer.com
21
in-game graphics and promotional mentions
22
coachesvscancer.com
Regional Rounds Commercial Units Date 11/08/2010 11/08/2010 11/08/2010 11/08/2010 11/09/2010 11/09/2010 11/08/2010 11/08/2010 11/10/2010
Game Piitsburgh vs. Rhode Island Pittsburgh vs. Rhode Island Maryland vs. Seattle Maryland vs. Seattle Maryland vs. Seattle (re-broadcast) Maryland vs. Seattle (re-broadcast) Texas vs. Navy Texas vs. Navy Maryland vs. Charleston
11/10/2010
Network
Airtime (EST) 8:04 pm 8:41 pm 8:30 pm 10:01 pm 12:38 pm 1:34 pm 10:11 pm 10:57 pm 7:55 pm
Sponsor HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H HUPC-0046 HUPC-0046 HUPC-0046 HUPC-0046 HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H HUPC0019000H
Maryland vs. Charleston
8:37 pm
HUPC0042000H
11/10/2010
Texas vs. Lousiana Tech
10:09 pm
HUPC0019000H
11/10/2010
Texas vs. Lousiana Tech
10:50 pm
HUPC0042000H
:15 Commercial Spots: 8 :30 Commercial Spots: 4 Spots in excess of contract: 4
Championship Rounds Commercial Units on Date 11/18/2010 11/18/2010 11/18/2010 11/18/2010 11/19/2010 11/19/2010 11/19/2010 11/19/2010
Game Pittsburgh vs. Maryland Pittsburgh vs. Maryland Illinois vs. Texas Illinois vs. Texas Maryland vs. Illinois Maryland vs. Illinois Pittsburgh vs. Texas Pittsburgh vs. Texas
Airtime (EST) 8:06 pm 8:54 pm 10:45 pm 11:31 pm 6:02 pm 6:41 pm 8:37 pm 9:15 pm
Sponsor HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H HUPC0019000H HUPC0042000H
:15 Commercial Spots: 8
coachesvscancer.com
23
television
- The Event was featured in ESPN’s promotional spots used to launch its season-long coverage of college basketball and on ESPN’s early-season tournament preview show. - National, regional, and local sports highlights shows. - Local news network sports coverage.
Radio
- Championship Round coaches participated in interviews on WFAN Radio (Boomer & Carton in morning drive).
National teleconference
- A national teleconference prior to the Championship Rounds featured the head coach of each participating team.
ESPN’s Dick Vitale and Dan Shulman live during Semifinal Round action at Madison Square Garden.
24
coachesvscancer.com
7th and 8th avenue marquees and banner
Beginning one month prior to the Event, Reese’s mentions appeared on the 7th and 8th Avenue Marquees 3 times per hour, 18 hours a day, totalling approximately 1,700,000 daily impressions.
coachesvscancer.com
25
scoreboard mentions and pa announcements
Reese’s :15 commercial and logos appear on the Gardenvision center hung scoreboard and endboard LED ribbons during PA Announcements and Promotions.
26
coachesvscancer.com
on-court promotions
The loudest fans in the arena receive Reese’s T-shirts that were thrown into the crowd during timeouts.
coachesvscancer.com
27
Sponsor Recognition ceremony
Sponsor Representatives were recognized for their support of the 2010 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer (L-R): 2K Sports - Mark Goodrich American Airlines - Emil Sokol Reese’s - Patricia Hetrick State Farm - John Althoff Continuum Health Partners - Dr. Michael Grossbard Toyota - Brial Diel Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield - Patrick O’Keefe Academy Bus - John Kiely
28
coachesvscancer.com
Pre-Game hospitality reception
The Pre-Game Hospitality Reception was held at Madison Square Garden’s Club Bar and Grill prior to the start of the games each night.
coachesvscancer.com
29
Pre-Game hospitality reception
The Reese’s logo was mentioned on the Sponsor “Thank You” Placard at the entrance to the Club Bar and Grill (left).
Guests were able to mingle, relax and enjoy a fantastic buffet dinner and open bar before the games each night.
30
coachesvscancer.com
As the nation’s premier early-season college basketball event, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer annually receives an enormous amount of press coverage in the local, regional, and national media. The entire footprint of the event includes the four Regional Round sites, the Championship Rounds in New York, the two Subregional Round sites, and the local news areas in which the 12 participating institutions are located. In 2010, stories before, during, and after the event were written by the Associated Press and circulated in most large and small newspapers across the nation. The event enjoys a tremendous amount of exposure on the Internet, on both national and sport-specific web sites. More specifically, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer was featured in articles in, but not limited to, the following media outlets: - USA Today
- New York Post
- Baltimore Sun
- SI.com
- Newsday
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- ESPN.com
- Newark Star-Ledger
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- ESPN, The Magazine
- Westchester Journal-News
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- FoxSports.com
- ESPNNY.com
- Austin American-Statesman
- CBSSports.com
- Washington Post
- Champaign News-Gazette
- The Sporting News
- Chicago Tribune
- Providence Journal
- Yahoo.com
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Toledo Blade
- AOLFanhouse.com
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- SNY.com
- New York Daily News
- Houston Chronicle
In all, over 100 reporters and photographers representing more than 65 media outlets were issued credentials to the Championship Rounds of the 2010 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The 2K Sports logo appeared on the press backdrop in the media room at Madison Square Garden.
coachesvscancer.com
31
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland & Illinois to Play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Next Season in New York City Tickets On Sale Tomorrow At 12:00 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2010 Contact: Ray Cella 609-921-1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com) PRINCETON, N.J. - Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois will tip-off the 2010 college basketball season in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, which culminates with the Championship Rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Nov. 18-19. Championship Round tickets will go ON SALE TOMORROW (March 9) at 12:00 noon. TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Championship Round games at Madison Square Garden will be available Tuesday, March 9 beginning at 12:00 PM and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849 or through Ticketmaster.com. The format for the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the nation's premier season-opening college basketball tournament, will remain the same as this past season. Twelve teams from across the nation will compete in the 16th annual event with Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois hosting regional round games from Nov. 8-12. The four hosts will then advance to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 18-19, at New York's Madison Square Garden, while the remainder of the field will participate in subregionals held at campus sites. Other teams participating in the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic are Charleston, Illinois-Chicago, Louisiana Tech, Navy, Rhode Island, Seattle, Toledo, and UC-Irvine. Toledo and UC-Irvine will host the subregional rounds. Match-ups for the Championship Rounds, as well as the entire bracket for the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, will be announced at a later date. The four schools playing in New York City, each of which was ranked prior to the start of conference play this season, have combined for 10 Final Four appearances and 98 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Each of the four schools has been to the NCAA Tournament a minimum of 21 times. Pittsburgh: Ranked 16th in both polls with a 24-7 record...Pitt is the only team in the Big East to have won at least 20 games overall and 10 league games each of the last nine seasons...the Panthers, who start two juniors, two sophomores, and just one senior, are led by sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs (16.2 ppg) and junior guard Brad Wanamaker (12.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg)...Pitt should mark its ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance this season - the longest streak among Big East schools. file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01a%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(3-8-10).htm (1 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:08:18 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
Texas: The Longhorns are 23-8...spent two weeks atop both polls in mid-January...the Longhorns start two juniors, one freshman, and two seniors and sport only three seniors on the 14-man roster...freshmen guards Avery Bradley (11.7 ppg) and J'Covan Brown (9.82 ppg) have combined to hand out 141 assists this season...Texas, which has made 11-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, is just one of five schools to advance to the Sweet 16 five of the last eight years (Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Pittsburgh). Maryland: The Terps are 23-7 this season, ranked 19th in both polls, and co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference...Maryland has won at least 19 games each of the last 14 seasons...10 members of the 13-man roster are either juniors, sophomores, or freshmen...sophomore guard Sean Mosley averages 10.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg...freshman forward Jordan Williams nets 9.3 ppg and averages a team-best 8.3 rpg...won the 2006 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Illinois: Is 18-13 this season sporting a roster with only two seniors, neither of whom starts... junior Demetri McCamey paces the Illini in scoring (14.9 ppg) and assists (6.8 apg), while classmate Mike Davis is hauling down a team-best 8.8 rpg to go with his 10.3 ppg...Illinois' 1,627 wins rank 13th nationally and its .653 winning percentage is tops among Big Ten schools... the Illini have finished among the Big Ten's top five in six of head coach Bruce Weber's seven seasons. In the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Wes Johnson emerged as one of the nation's most electrifying players in leading Syracuse to the Classic title. Johnson scored 25 points and Syracuse went on to earn an 87-71 victory over defending national champion North Carolina in the Championship Game. Syracuse used the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic to springboard into the national spotlight and is currently ranked third both polls. The Championship Rounds of the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic also featured, for the first time, four ranked teams at the time of the games as North Carolina (fourth), California (12th), Ohio State (17th), and Syracuse (25th) each appeared in the ESPN/USA Today poll. In addition, California (Pac-10), Ohio State (Big Ten), and Syracuse (Big East) went on to win their respective conference's regular season championships in 2009-10. Four of the past eight National Champions have participated in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, as well as four additional NCAA Final Four teams. Over the last seven years, 35 teams that participated in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic have gone on to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength and community leadership of the nation's basketball coaches to raise awareness and reduce the risk of cancer while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's fight to save lives from cancer. Since 1995, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01a%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(3-8-10).htm (2 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:08:18 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | 609.921.1300 | gazellegroup.com
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01a%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(3-8-10).htm (3 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:08:18 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
Regional Round Matchups for 16th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Announced Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland, Illinois to host Regional Round games on Nov. 8 & 10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 8, 2010 Contact: Ray Cella 609-921-1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com) PRINCETON, N.J. – Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois will host Regional Round games of the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the nation's premier season-opening college basketball event. Each institution will host two Regional Round games before heading to New York's Madison Square Garden for the Championship Rounds on Nov. 18-19. ---- REGIONAL ROUNDS ---Pittsburgh Regional Rounds Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, Pa. Nov. 8 - Rhode Island at Pittsburgh Nov. 10 - Illinois-Chicago at Pittsburgh
Austin Regional Rounds Frank Erwin Center - Austin, Texas Nov. 8 - Navy at Texas Nov. 10 - Louisiana Tech at Texas
College Park Regional Rounds Comcast Center - College Park, Md. Nov. 8 - Seattle at Maryland Nov. 10 - Charleston at Maryland
Champaign Regional Rounds Assembly Hall - Champaign, Ill. Nov. 8 - UC Irvine at Illinois Nov. 10 - Toledo at Illinois
The matchups for the Championship Rounds at Madison Square Garden and the Subregional Rounds at Toledo and UC Irvine will be announced at a later date, as will game times and television details. THE FIELD Pittsburgh - Ended the season ranked 18th (AP) and 20th (ESPN/USA Today) with a 25-9 record...Pitt earned its ninth-straight NCAA Tournament bid - the longest streak among Big East schools - and advanced to the second round...the Panthers return junior guard Ashton Gibbs (15.7 ppg), a Scotch Plains, N.J. (Seton Hall Prep) native and second-team All-Big East honoree, and sophomore guard Travon Woodall (5.0 ppg, 108 assists) of Brooklyn, N.Y. (St. Anthony's (N. J.))...New York area recruits include Top 100 prospects J.J. Moore (Brentwood, N.Y./South Kent file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01b%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(6-8-10).htm (1 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:10:16 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
School (Conn.) and Isiah Epps (Plainfield, N.J./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.))...the Panthers are ranked seventh in Andy Katz's (ESPN) preseason Top 25. Texas - The Longhorns went 24-10, spending two weeks atop both polls in mid-January...Texas advanced to its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament in 2010 and has been to five Sweet 16s over the last nine years...sophomore guard J'Covan Brown (9.6 ppg, 80 assists) and sophomore swingman Jordan Hamilton (10.0 ppg) highlight a young and talented Longhorn squad...Texas' incoming class has been rated as high as eighth in the nation. Maryland - The Terps were 24-9 this past season and co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference...ended the season ranked 18th (ESPN/USA Today) and 20th (AP) and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament...the Terps return 10 players, including junior guard Sean Mosley (10.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg) and sophomore forwards Jordan Williams (9.6 ppg and a team-best 8.6 rpg), who was named to the ACC All-Rookie team, and Brooklyn's James Padgett (Lincoln H.S.), who is expected to have a larger role in Maryland's rotation...the Terps' Top 20 recruiting class includes Ashton Pankey of the Bronx (St. Anthony's (N.J.)). Illinois - Went 21-15 in advancing to the quarterfinals of the NIT...has finished among the Big Ten's top five in six of head coach Bruce Weber's seven seasons...first-team All-Big Ten pick Demetri McCamey returns for his senior year after leading the Illini in scoring (15.1 ppg) and placing second in the nation in assists (7.1 apg)...Big Ten Rookie of the Year guard D.J. Richardson netted 10.5 ppg as a freshman last year...the Illini, who welcome a Top 10 recruiting class, are ranked 15th in Andy Katz's (ESPN) preseason Top 25. Charleston - The Cougars went 22-12 and reached the second round of the College Basketball Invitational, marking the third time in four years under head coach Bobby Cremins that they achieved a 20-win season. Illinois-Chicago - The Flames return 12 players from last year's team as head coach Jimmy Collins, the winningest coach in school history, retools UIC. Louisiana Tech - Posted a 24-11 record, its most wins since the 1984-85 season...the Bulldogs also recorded 13 non-conference wins, also the most since 1984-85. Navy - The Midshipmen, who were 13-17 this past season, are one of only two programs in the Patriot League to finish in the top half of the standings each of the last three seasons. Rhode Island - Rhody compiled a 26-10 record in advancing to the semifinals of the 2010 NIT... the Rams have won 52 non-conference games over the last three seasons. Seattle - The Redhawks, who are currently in the process of reclassifying from Division II to Division I, posted a 17-14 record last season while playing a Division I schedule. Toledo - The Rockets will be led by first-year head coach Tod Kowalczyk, who comes to Toledo after eight successful seasons at Wisconsin-Green Bay. UC Irvine - Russell Turner will make his collegiate head coaching debut in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic...Turner was hired after spending six years with the Golden State Warriors. TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round tickets are currently ON SALE and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849.
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01b%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(6-8-10).htm (2 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:10:16 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
Last year's Coaches vs. Cancer Classic drew in excess of 141,000 fans across the seven hosting venues with Syracuse defeating defending national champion North Carolina to claim the title. This year marks the 13th consecutive season that the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic has been played at Madison Square Garden. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community leadership, and celebrity status of the nation's basketball coaches in an effort to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Since 1995, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer. The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on The Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com. Visit coachesvscancer.com for more information on the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | 609.921.1300 | gazellegroup.com
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01b%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(6-8-10).htm (3 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:10:16 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
Bracket Completed
ESPN Family of Networks to Televise Eight Tournament Games FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 5, 2010 Contact: Ray Cella 609-921-1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com) www.coachesvscancerclassic.com PRINCETON, N.J. – The schedule and national television coverage for the 16th annual 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer men's college basketball tournament have been completed. Pittsburgh, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois will serve as the four Regional Round hosts for the event, matchups for which were previously announced. The tournament will begin with Regional Round action, November 8-10, with the four host schools advancing to the Championship Rounds at New York’s Madison Square Garden on November 18-19. In the Championship Rounds' first semifinal game on Thursday, November 18, Pittsburgh will face Maryland at 7:00 PM EST, followed by the Illinois-Texas game. The winners will meet in the championship game on Friday, November 19, which will be preceded by the consolation game at 5:00 PM EST. The Irvine and Toledo subregional rounds will be held from November 19-21. UC Irvine will host Louisiana Tech, Navy, and Seattle, while Toledo will entertain Charleston, Illinois-Chicago, and Rhode Island. Each team will play three games in the subregional rounds. A total of eight games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. ESPNU will televise both games of the Austin Regional Rounds when Texas hosts Navy (Nov. 8) and Louisiana Tech (Nov. 10). ESPNU will also air the first Pittsburgh Regional Round game featuring Pitt and Rhode Island on November 8, as well as the second College Park Regional Round game on November 10 between Maryland and Charleston. ESPN2 will televise all four games of the Championship Rounds in New York, November 18-19. Additional television coverage will be announced at a later date. Outlined below are the dates, times, locations, match-ups, and current television coverage for the tournament. Click HERE for the complete tournament bracket.
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01c%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(8-5-10).htm (1 of 4) [2/18/2011 10:11:50 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
---- CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS ---Semifinal Doubleheader Madison Square Garden - New York, N.Y. Thursday, November 18 - 7:00 PM EST Pittsburgh vs. Maryland (ESPN2) Illinois vs. Texas (ESPN2)
Championship Doubleheader Madison Square Garden - New York, N.Y. Friday, November 19 - 5:00 PM EST Consolation Game (ESPN2) Championship Game (ESPN2)
---- REGIONAL ROUNDS ---Pittsburgh Regional Rounds Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, Pa. Monday, November 8 - 7:00 PM EST Rhode Island vs. Pittsburgh (ESPNU) Wednesday, November 10 - TBA Illinois-Chicago vs. Pittsburgh
Austin Regional Rounds Frank Erwin Center - Austin, Texas Monday, November 8 - 9:00 PM EST Navy vs. Texas (ESPNU) Wednesday, November 10 - 9:00 PM EST Louisiana Tech vs. Texas (ESPNU)
College Park Regional Rounds Comcast Center - College Park, Md. Monday, November 8 - TBA Seattle vs. Maryland Wednesday, November 10 - 7:00 PM EST Charleston vs. Maryland (ESPNU)
Champaign Regional Rounds Assembly Hall - Champaign, Ill. Monday, November 8 - TBA UC Irvine vs. Illinois Wednesday, November 10 - TBA Toledo vs. Illinois
---- SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS ---Toledo Subregional Rounds John F. Savage Arena - Toledo, Ohio Friday, November 19 - 4:30 PM EST Rhode Island vs. Charleston Illinois-Chicago vs. Toledo Saturday, November 20 - 4:30 PM EST Charleston vs. Illinois-Chicago Rhode Island vs. Toledo Sunday, November 21 - 2:30 PM EST Illinois-Chicago vs. Rhode Island Charleston vs. Toledo
Irvine Subregional Rounds Bren Events Center - Irvine, Calif. Friday, November 19 - 8:00 PM EST Seattle vs. Louisiana Tech Navy vs. UC Irvine Saturday, November 20 - 8:00 PM EST Lousiana Tech vs. Navy Seattle vs. UC Irvine Sunday, November 21 - 6:00 PM EST Navy vs. Seattle Louisiana Tech vs. UC Irvine
TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round tickets are now ON SALE and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849. THE FIELD Pittsburgh - Pitt ended the season ranked 18th (AP) and 20th (ESPN/USA Today) with a 25-9
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01c%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(8-5-10).htm (2 of 4) [2/18/2011 10:11:50 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
record...Pitt earned its ninth-straight NCAA Tournament bid - the longest streak among Big East schools - and advanced to the second round...the Panthers return junior guard Ashton Gibbs (15.7 ppg), a Scotch Plains, N.J., (Seton Hall Prep) native and second-team All-Big East honoree, and sophomore guard Travon Woodall (5.0 ppg, 108 assists) of Brooklyn, N.Y. (St. Anthony's (N. J.))...New York area recruits include Top 100 prospects J.J. Moore (Brentwood, N.Y./South Kent School (Conn.) and Isiah Epps (Plainfield, N.J./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.))...the Panthers are ranked 7th in Andy Katz's (ESPN) preseason Top 25 and 12th in Dick Vitale's (ESPN) preseason Top 40. Texas - The Longhorns went 24-10, spending two weeks atop both polls in mid-January...Texas advanced to its 12th-straight NCAA Tournament in 2010 and has been to five Sweet 16s over the last nine years...sophomore guard J'Covan Brown (9.6 ppg, 80 assists) and sophomore swingman Jordan Hamilton (10.0 ppg) highlight a young and talented Longhorn squad...Texas' incoming class has been rated as high as eighth in the nation...ranked 17th in Dick Vitale's (ESPN) preseason Top 40. Maryland - The Terps were 24-9 this past season and co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference...ended the season ranked 18th (ESPN/USA Today) and 20th (AP) and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament...the Terps return 10 players, including junior guard Sean Mosley (10.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg) and sophomore forwards Jordan Williams (9.6 ppg and a team-best 8.6 rpg), who was named to the ACC All-Rookie team, and Brooklyn's James Padgett (Lincoln H.S.), who is expected to have a larger role in Maryland's rotation...the Terps' Top 20 recruiting class includes Ashton Pankey of the Bronx (St. Anthony's (N.J.))...ranked 38th in Dick Vitale's (ESPN) preseason Top 40. Illinois - The Illini went 21-15 in advancing to the quarterfinals of the NIT...has finished among the Big Ten's top five in six of head coach Bruce Weber's seven seasons...first-team All-Big Ten pick Demetri McCamey returns for his senior year after leading the Illini in scoring (15.1 ppg) and placing second in the nation in assists (7.1 apg)...Big Ten Rookie of the Year guard D.J. Richardson netted 10.5 ppg as a freshman last year...the Illini, who welcome a Top 10 recruiting class, are ranked 15th in Andy Katz's (ESPN) preseason Top 25 and 18th in Dick Vitale's (ESPN) preseason Top 40. Charleston - The Cougars went 22-12 and reached the second round of the College Basketball Invitational, marking the third time in four years under head coach Bobby Cremins that they achieved a 20-win season. Illinois-Chicago - The Flames, who return 12 players from last year's team, will be under the direction of a new head coach as Jimmy Collins, the winningest coach in school history, will leave at the end of August. Louisiana Tech - Louisiana Tech posted a 24-11 record, its most wins since the 1984-85 season...the Bulldogs recorded 13 non-conference wins, also the most since 1984-85. Navy - The Midshipmen, who were 13-17 this past season, are one of only two programs in the Patriot League to finish in the top half of the standings each of the last three seasons. Rhode Island - Rhody compiled a 26-10 record in advancing to the semifinals of the 2010 NIT... the Rams have won 52 non-conference games over the last three seasons. Seattle - The Redhawks, who are currently in the process of reclassifying from Division II to Division I, posted a 17-14 record last season while playing a Division I schedule.
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01c%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(8-5-10).htm (3 of 4) [2/18/2011 10:11:50 AM]
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
Toledo - The Rockets will be led by first-year head coach Tod Kowalczyk, who comes to Toledo after eight successful seasons at Green Bay. UC Irvine - Russell Turner will make his collegiate head coaching debut in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer...Turner was hired after spending six years with the Golden State Warriors. Last year's 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer drew in excess of 141,000 fans across the seven hosting venues with Syracuse defeating defending national champion North Carolina to claim the title. This year marks the 13th consecutive season that the Classic has been played at Madison Square Garden. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community leadership, and celebrity status of the nation's basketball coaches in an effort to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Since 1995, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer. The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is produced by The Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on The Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | 609.921.1300 | gazellegroup.com
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC.../4.01c%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(8-5-10).htm (4 of 4) [2/18/2011 10:11:50 AM]
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer Tips-Off the College Basketball Season FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2008 Contact: Ray Cella 609-921-1300 PRINCETON, N.J. – The 16th annual 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer officially tips-off the 2010-11 college basketball season this evening. The season begins at 7:00pm (ET) when No. 4 Pittsburgh hosts Rhode Island on ESPNU. At 8:00pm (ET), No. 16 Illinois hosts UC Irvine on ESPN3.com while Maryland entertains Seattle on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and Comcast SportsNet Northwest. At 9:00pm (ET), No. 25 Texas meets Navy on ESPNU. All four Regional Round hosts will also play on Wednesday. Pitt hosts Illinois-Chicago, Charleston is at Maryland (ESPNU), Illinois hosts Toledo (ESPN3.com), and Texas is home to Louisiana Tech (ESPNU). Pitt, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois will then tarvel to New York City and square off in the Championship Rounds of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Semifinal games will take place on Thursday Nov. 18 with the consolation and championship games being played on Nov. 19. All four contests will air on ESPN2. Last year's 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer drew in excess of 141,000 fans across the seven hosting venues with Syracuse defeating defending national champion North Carolina to claim the title. This year marks the 13th consecutive season that the Classic has been played at Madison Square Garden. 2K Sports, known for delivering the most innovative and realistic sports simulation experience available, is the title sponsor of the event for the sixth consecutive year. 2K Sports develops and publishes the popular and highly acclaimed NBA 2K series - the top selling and highest rated nextgeneration basketball video game on the market. The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is produced by The Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on The Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CV....01d%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(11-8-10).htm (1 of 2) [2/18/2011 10:13:01 AM]
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
leadership, and celebrity status of the nation's basketball coaches in an effort to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Since 1995, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | 609.921.1300 | gazellegroup.com
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CV....01d%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(11-8-10).htm (2 of 2) [2/18/2011 10:13:01 AM]
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer Comes to New York Three ranked teams featured at Madison Square Garden FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2010 Contact: Ray Cella 609-921-1300 (rcella@gazellegroup.com) www.coachesvscancer.com PRINCETON, N.J. - The Championship Rounds of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer begin on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. In the first semifinal matchup, Pittsburgh meets Maryland at 7:00pm, followed by Illinois-Texas at 9:00pm. On Friday, the consolation game will commence at 5:00pm with the title match at 7:00pm. All four games of the Championship Rounds will be televised on ESPN2. Three of the four Championship Round participants are ranked in the 2010-11 ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches' poll. Pittsburgh is ranked fourth, Illinois is 16th, Texas is 25th. Pittsburgh is ranked fifth and Illinois 13th in the Associated Press preseason poll. Here is how they got to New York... PITTSBURGH REGIONAL ROUNDS In the season opener, No. 4 Pitt saw Brad Wanamaker match his career high with 24 points and hand out eight assists as the Panthers held off a game Rhode Island team, 83-75. Ashton Gibbs netted 22 points and Talib Zanna added nine points and 11 rebounds. Delroy James led URI with 20 points while Akeem Richmond added 16 points and Daniel West dished out 10 assists. James and Richmond combined to go 9-19 from three as the Rams shot 14-31 as a team from behind the arc. Two nights later, Pitt earned a 97-54 win over Illinois-Chicago. Gibbs led all scorers with 24 points. He also handed out seven assists. Wanamaker registered 17 points, six rebounds, and nine assists while Gilbert Brown added 12 points and six rebounds. K.C. Robbins led UIC with 12 points. AUSTIN REGIONAL ROUNDS Jordan Hamilton posted 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 25 Texas to an 83-52 win over Navy in the season opener for both teams. Gary Johnson had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Tristan Thompson added 12 points and seven rebounds. Navy was paced by Mark Veazey and his
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC....01f%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(11-15-10).htm (1 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:14:03 AM]
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
14 points and eight rebounds. Texas then took an 89-58 decision from Louisiana Tech. Hamilton again led all scorers with 19 points for the Longhorns, who also received 17 points from Thompson and 15 points from Johnson. Tech was paced by Brandon Gibson's 16 points and Olu Ashaolu's 13 points and 11 rebounds. COLLEGE PARK REGIONAL ROUNDS Maryland set a Classic scoring record en route to a 105-76 victory over Seattle. The 105 points topped the previous mark of 104 set by Syracuse against Northern Colorado on Nov. 11, 2004. Sean Mosley netted 21 points, Jordan Williams accounted for 17 points and 15 rebounds, Cliff Tucker totaled 16 points and seven rebounds, and Terrell Stoglin had 15 points and five assists for the Terrapins. Seattle was led by Cervante Burrell and his 13 points. The Terps then survived a scare when Pe'Shon Howard's pull up jumper with 4.6 seconds left gave Maryland a 75-74 win over Charleston. Howard ended the game with 14 points while Williams posted 26 points and 15 rebounds. Charleston's Andrew Goudelock led all scorers with 27 points to go with 10 rebounds. Antwaine Wiggins registered five points, eight rebounds, and five blocked shots for the Cougars. CHAMPAIGN REGIONAL ROUNDS No. 16 Illinois got 18 points from Brandon Paul and 13 points and eight assists from Demetri McCamey in a season-opening 79-63 win over UC Irvine. Mike Tisdale added 12 points and eight rebounds and Mike Davis had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Illini. Darren Moore led the Anteaters with 18 points while Eric Wise posted 11 points and 12 rebounds. Illinois again placed four players in double figures en route to an 84-45 win over Toledo. McCamey led the Illini with 13 points and seven rebounds, Davis had 12 points, Tisdale put up 10 points and eight rebounds, and Meyers Leonard added 10 points. Toledo got 11 points from Delino Dear and 10 points from Malcolm Griffin. The remaining eight teams of the 12-team field will participate in Subregional action at two sites. Toledo will host Charleston, Illinois-Chicago, and Rhode Island with each team playing three games at Savage Arena from Nov. 19-21. Louisiana Tech, Navy, and Seattle will travel to UC Irvine where the Anteaters will serve as host for three days of doubleheaders at the Bren Events Center from Nov. 19-21. Last year's 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer drew in excess of 141,000 fans across the seven hosting venues with Syracuse defeating defending national champion North Carolina to claim the title. This year marks the 13th consecutive season that the Classic has been played at Madison Square Garden. 2K Sports, known for delivering the most innovative and realistic sports simulation experience available, is the title sponsor of the event for the sixth consecutive year. 2K Sports develops and publishes the popular and highly acclaimed NBA 2K series - the top selling and highest rated nextgeneration basketball video game on the market. The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is produced by The Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on The Gazelle Group, please file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC....01f%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(11-15-10).htm (2 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:14:03 AM]
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
visit www.gazellegroup.com. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community leadership, and celebrity status of the nation's basketball coaches in an effort to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's vision of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Since 1995, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Gazelle Group | 475 Wall Street | Princeton, N.J. 08540 | 609.921.1300 | gazellegroup.com
file:///N|/Shared/Projects%20Cella/2010%20CVC....01f%20CVC%20Press%20Release%20(11-15-10).htm (3 of 3) [2/18/2011 10:14:03 AM]
What Pittsburgh Panthers, Texas Longhorns, Illinois Fighting Illini, Maryland Terrapins l... Page 1 of 3
Powered by
Posted: Saturday November 20, 2010 12:13AM ; Updated: Monday November 22, 2010 1:15PM
Seth Davis>INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL More ColumnsEmail Seth DavisFollow Seth Davis on
Good, bad discoveries from 2K Sports Classic quartet
Story Highlights No. 5 Pittsburgh won the 2K Sports Classic on the strength of its guard play Texas' young team got its much-needed jolt of confidence in New York Illinois can drain threes, but it is getting beat on the boards and at the line
NEW YORK -- "There's a reason nobody likes to play these games," Jamie Dixon was saying. "It's too hard to be at your best this early in the year." It wasn't exactly a throaty victory cry, but that's November basketball for you. Dixon, Pittsburgh's eighth-year coach, was standing in a hallway inside Madison Square Garden Friday night shortly after his fifth-ranked Panthers beat unranked Texas 68-66 to win the championship of the 2K Sports Classic. Pitt had earned a spot in the title game by toughing out a 79-70 win the night before over Maryland, which went on to lose 80-76 to No. 13 Illinois (the other semifinal loser Thursday) in Friday's consolation game. Why would these teams subject themselves to back-to-back slugfests so early in the season, even though they know they are not at their best? The exposure helps, of course, but the real reason is because the only way for a coach to really learn about his team is to schedule games against quality competition. The action at the Garden wasn't much to look at, but each of the quartet discovered some important things about themselves, both good and bad. Here, then, is a Hoop Thinker's primer on what they learned: Pittsburgh The Good: If you're a fan of quality guard play, this is the team for you. Coming into this week's games, the Panthers were getting more than 80 percent of their scoring from their perimeter players. Against Texas, 48 of their 68 points came from the guards, including 24 from 6-foot-2 junior Ashton Gibbs, the tourney's MVP. Though they can get a little sloppy with the ball (16 turnovers vs. Maryland), Pitt's guards can all handle, pass and shoot. And since they're mostly upperclassmen, they showed they can keep their poise down the stretch. Their 7-for-14 shooting from three-point range was decisive in the final against the Longhorns. After that win, Dixon expressed surprise that the Longhorns were able to out-rebound his team. They did -- by two. Travesty! Pitt showed this week that it can be a physically overpowering team. Against Maryland, they owned the boards, 49-28. Opponents might be able to match Pitt's toughness, but it's doubtful they'll ever exceed it. The Bad: You're not going to win a lot of games going 13-for-24 from the foul line, as Pitt did against Texas. That's below the rate they had been shooting coming into the game, but you have to wonder if that's a problem that could rear its head at the worst possible moment. Another area of concern for Pitt is the flip side of its strong perimeter. Big men Gary McGhee, Talib Zanna and Dante Taylor are excellent rebounders and post defenders, but they are not much of a threat to score. One of the coaches who scouted Pitt told me that running teams should be able to exploit the big guys' inability to change ends quickly. Though the Panthers beat down both of their opponents, they were unable to put either one away until the very end. Yes, Pitt can grind out a game as well as any team in the country, but at some point it would help to go on the occasional 12-2 run. One last point about Pitt. When I asked an assistant coach who had scouted them to cite an area of weakness, he replied, "Predictability on defense." Dixon has done an excellent job creating a culture of consistency. Theoretically, that should make the Panthers easier to beat, but exploiting their weaknesses is a lot easier scouted than done.
http://si.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=What%A0Pittsburgh+Panthers...
12/1/2010
What Pittsburgh Panthers, Texas Longhorns, Illinois Fighting Illini, Maryland Terrapins l... Page 2 of 3
Texas The Good: Rick Barnes told me after the loss to Pitt that he knew three weeks ago that his team was better than people realized. "We scrimmaged Davidson and Gonzaga, and I could see we had a chance to be real good," he said. Still, this team features two freshmen and two sophomores among its top eight players. The Longhorns badly needed a jolt of confidence, and it's clear that they got it in New York. This tournament was an important learning experience for freshman point guard Cory Joseph, who struggled against Pitt (three turnovers and two points on 1-of-4 shooting) and took an ill-advised shot on the Longhorns' final possession when they had a chance to send the game into overtime. More important, Texas got affirmation that sophomore forward Jordan Hamilton is a much-improved player following a rocky freshman season. Hamilton had major problems with his shot selection last year (that's why he only shot 41 percent from the field), but his decision-making is a lot better now. He is also a more complete player. In the two games this week, Hamilton had 53 points (7-of-12 from three-point range), 15 rebounds and four assists. Pitt may have won the title, but Hamilton was clearly the best player on the floor Friday night. The Bad: It's one thing to be young. It's quite another when your youngest players are the ones you depend on the most. That's the case with Hamilton, Joseph and 6-8 freshman Tristan Thompson, who was brilliant against Illinois in the semifinal. The Longhorns' immaturity showed in the first half of Friday night's championship game, when the team showed a palpable lack of energy. They may have thought they were ready to play, but they weren't, and it was just enough to prevent them from pulling off the upset. The other main issue with Texas is that its best offensive player is also one of its worst defenders. Hamilton is so lacking in this department that Barnes substituted for him on key defensive possessions late in the second half against Pitt. "It motivates him," Barnes said. "He knows he has to get better at it. He also knows teams are going to go at him, if nothing else so they can get him into foul trouble." Hamilton better get better at it fast, because if Texas is going to reach its potential, it will need him on the floor as much as possible. Illinois The Good: This is a pretty offensive team to watch. The ball moves. The shots go in. It's a little reminiscent of the Illini squad that reached the 2005 NCAA championship game. In the two games against Texas and Maryland, the Illini shot 20-for-48 from the three-point line. Best of all, the makes can come from everywhere. Seven players sank three-pointers in New York. That's hard to guard. "They're unselfish," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "When you make a mistake defensively, whoever you made that mistake on, that's where the ball is going to end up." Also, if there was any doubt that senior point guard Demetri McCamey is poised to have a big year, it was erased in New York. After the game Friday night, Williams made an excellent point about McCamey, remarking that he looks a lot slower than he is, and as a result it catches defenders off-guard. McCamey scored 20 and 22 points, respectively, against Texas and Maryland, and had a total of 13 assists and five turnovers. He is clearly on the short list of front-runners for Big Ten Player of the Year. The Bad: Pretty teams often have trouble winning ugly. Illinois is more committed to toughness this season, but I didn't see much evidence that its collective collar is turning blue. The three stats to watch this season for Illinois will be field goal defense, rebound margin and free throw attempts. Well, Texas took 16 more free throws and out-rebounded the Illini by four. Maryland out-rebounded them by 11, and while the Illini shot five more free throws Friday night, many of those attempts occurred in the last five minutes as the Terrapins were trying to come back. And both opponents shot better than 43 percent. Problems all. If this part of Illinois' game is going to improve, it's going to have to come from their senior big men, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale. Davis grabbed 12 rebounds against Texas, but he was way too quiet against Maryland, especially considering the Terrapins' best big man, Jordan Williams, was in foul trouble. And Tisdale is simply allergic to the paint. He played 38 minutes in the two games and did not attempt a free throw. That's not how you get Capone. Maryland The Good: Here's a shock: A Gary Williams-coached team is scrappy and tough. With 6:22 to play in the second half against Pittsburgh, the Terps trailed by 10. Against Illinois, they were down 12 with 5:35 to play. In each case they could have folded, yet they hung in, cutting Pitt's lead to four with two minutes to play and clawing to within two of the Illini with 14 seconds left. Maryland also learned that it has a true budding star in Williams. Though he picked up two fouls early in the first half both nights, Williams still put up 14 points and eight rebounds against Pitt and had 15 and 13 against Illinois. That's impressive considering both opponents had lots of big men to throw Williams' way. The Bad: Maryland doesn't play offense. They play Oy-fense. The Terps were 2-for-14 from three-point range against Pitt, and they were 5-for-18 against Texas. Against Pitt they were truly atrocious from the foul line, making just two of their 14 attempts, including 0-for-7 in the first half. If the Terps are going to beat good teams, at some point they're going to have to put the biscuit in the basket. Poor shooting is only a part of the problem. The greater issues come from shot selection and playmaking. That all stems from the Terps' primary deficiency, which is point guard play. One of the real disappointments from the two games in New York is how little production Maryland got out of freshman Pe'Shon Howard, the hero of its last-gasp win over College of Charleston. Howard had four points against Pitt and zero against Illinois on 0-for-5 shooting. Guess he's no savior. Meanwhile, against the Illini the Terps' trio of starting guards
http://si.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=What%A0Pittsburgh+Panthers...
12/1/2010
What Pittsburgh Panthers, Texas Longhorns, Illinois Fighting Illini, Maryland Terrapins l... Page 3 of 3
committed eight turnovers to just 11 assists. And Steve Blake is not going to walk through that door. Finally, as one assistant coach who scouted Maryland pointed out, if Williams is on the bench, the Terps have no Plan B up front. Better stay out of foul trouble, big fella.
Find this article at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/seth_davis/11/19/pittsburgh.texas.illinois.maryland.2k.sports.classic
Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.
Copyright Š 2007 CNN/Sports Illustrated.
http://si.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=What%A0Pittsburgh+Panthers...
12/1/2010
Dixon, Pittsburgh get it done - College Basketball - Rivals.com
Page 1 of 3
Dixon, Pittsburgh get it done
By Jason King, Yahoo! Sports 10 hours, 31 minutes ago
NEW YORK – The fifth-best team in college basketball doesn’t feature any future NBA lottery picks. There is only one McDonald’s All-American on Pittsburgh’s roster, and that’s just fine with Jamie Dixon. “When you have high-character kids,” the Panthers coach likes to say, “you can do a lot of great things.” One of those great things occurred Friday night, when Pittsburgh improved to 50 with a 68-66 victory over a bigger, faster, more athletic Texas squad in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden. Ashton Gibbs earned tournament MVP honors with a 24-point effort, but the biggest star for Pittsburgh had slicked-back hair and wore a suit as he stalked the sideline. “Coach Dixon,” guard Brad Wanamaker said after the game, “is the face of our program.” There may not be a more underrated coach in America than Dixon, whose accomplishments in seven-plus years at Pittsburgh have been nothing short of remarkable. Dixon has never coached a first-round NBA draft pick, but year after year, his teams contend for the Big East title. Night after night, the Panthers share the ball and take good shots and defend like their season is on the line. Still, each time Pittsburgh defeats teams stocked with bigger, faster, more athletic players who are months away from becoming future millionaires, Dixon hears the same comment. The Panthers, people like to say, win ugly. Dixon smiled when the refrain surfaced again.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-pitt112010&print=1
11/20/2010
Dixon, Pittsburgh get it done - College Basketball - Rivals.com
Page 2 of 3
“I guess that’s better than losing pretty,” he said, and in some ways it was hard to tell if Dixon was amused or annoyed. “Offensively, we’re one of the most efficient teams in the country year in and year out,” he said. “We outrebound people. We don’t turn it over. To me, those are pretty good stats. I don’t know what adjective you want to use. “All I know is that we have good kids that play hard and believe in each other. That’s what helps you win.” Dixon’s philosophy couldn’t have rung any truer in the Garden, when Texas did everything it could to overtake Pittsburgh’s 10-point second-half lead. Three times during the final six minutes, the Longhorns pulled within a possession of Pittsburgh – only to see Dixon’s squad answer with a clutch shot on the other end. Two sequences near the end of the game illustrated the difference between the two teams. With his team trailing 63-62, Texas guard Jordan Hamilton rushed an ill-advised 3-pointer – a defender’s hand was in his face – that clanged off the back of the rim. Pittsburgh snared the rebound, went up the court and patiently worked the ball around the perimeter. Eventually, Gibbs freed up for a wide open shot beyond the arc that give the Panthers a 66-62 cushion with 1:24 remaining. Down 68-66 with 11 seconds left, Texas still had a chance when Pittsburgh’s Travon Woodall missed the front end of a one-and-one. But instead of running a play, Longhorns guard Cory Joseph raced up the court, lowered his head and drove into traffic. Pittsburgh’s defense swarmed Joseph, who tossed the ball up wildly. “We do some things that young teams do in terms of not listening all the time,” said Texas coach Rick Barnes, who went on to praise the Panthers for “knowing their roles.” “How many of these guys have been with them for four years?” Barnes said. “Most teams that have superstar guys … they don’t stick around four years. Jamie does a really nice job.”
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-pitt112010&print=1
11/20/2010
Dixon, Pittsburgh get it done - College Basketball - Rivals.com
Page 3 of 3
Indeed, with three senior starters, the Panthers have one of the more experienced teams in the country. But even younger players such as freshman Talib Zanna and sophomore Dante Taylor haven’t had a tough time accepting Dixon’s insistence on sharing the ball and playing tough defense. “Once you get to college, you adjust,” Wanamaker said. “Everyone’s roles change, no matter who you are.” Or what you may have done in high school. “To be a No. [5] team … sometimes you have to alter your ego,” Gibbs said. “That’s something you learn as a freshman. It’s hard, but you’ve got to learn it quickly or you won’t play.” Dixon said the key to building team chemistry begins long before players arrive on campus. Recruiting, he said, is about more than identifying great talent. It’s about finding great people who are unselfish enough to buy into a system. “It’s not hard with the guys we have here now,” Dixon said. “We’ve got guys from winning programs who have won all their lives. And they’re used to winning. They’re proud to be at the University of Pittsburgh and playing for the name on front of their jersey. That’s important.” Successful as he’s been, the one thing that often keeps Dixon from being mentioned among college basketball’s elite coaches is his failure to get Pittsburgh to the Final Four. Granted, this is only Dixon’s eighth season as the Panthers’ coach, so any criticism he receives for not advancing that far is unfair. Pittsburgh, though, has won 20 or more games – and at least 10 conference games – each season under Dixon. As good as his teams have been, this one may be his best. “Where we are now is not where we’re going to be next week or next month,” Dixon said. “But I think our guys want to learn and want to get better and are willing to pay the price.”
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy - About Our Ads - Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Help - Site Map
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-pitt112010&print=1
11/20/2010
College hoops season ready to tip off with 2K Sports Classic - Campus Rivalry: College ...
Page 1 of 1
Campus Rivalry Top 25: TCU jumps Boise State for No. 3 spot; Oregon still No. 1 Oregon stays No. 1 in BCS; TCU solidifies third spot ahead of Boise State Nov 07, 2010
College hoops season ready to tip off with 2K Sports Classic 06:08 PM Share
0
Comment Recommend
The college football regular season still has about four weeks to go, but college basketball will tip off Monday with four games in the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Three of the contests involve ranked teams. No. 4 Pittsburgh, the favorite in the Big East, opens at home against Rhode Island. No. 16 Illinois, which is trying to get back to the NCAA tournament after missing out last year, plays at home against UC-Irvine. No. 25 Texas opens in Austin against Navy, and Maryland plays host to Seattle. The four host schools also play home games in the event Wednesday and, regardless of how those four do either night, they are guaranteed to advance to the semifinals Nov. 18 in New York. Pitt will play Maryland, and Illinois takes on Texas. The Panthers return four starters and seven of their top eight scorers from a 2009-10 team that finished 25-9 and advanced to its ninth consecutive NCAA tournament before falling to Xavier in the second round. Texas was No. 1 for a time in the regular season last year, but stumbled down the stretch and was eliminated in the first round of the tournament by Wake Forest. Maryland went out in the second round to Michigan State, which went on to the Final Four. The Illini went to the NIT.
CAPTION By Keith Srakocic, AP
The rest of the Division I men's — and women's — teams begin their seasons Friday. -- Jack Carey See photos of: University of Texas Tags: University of Texas University of Maryland University of Illinois University of Pittsburgh
You might be interested in:
Paid Distribution
Heisman update: Carrie Newton, James, Underwood's Moore, Luck CMA Awards USATODAY.com highlights in Campus Rivalry USATODAY.com in Idol Chatter
Denver Broncos fire head coach Josh McDaniels USATODAY.com in The Huddle
Early Signs That You Might Have Multiple Sclerosis EverydayHealth. com [?]
PreviousTop 25: TCU jumps Boise State for No. 3 spot; Oregon still No. 1 NextOregon stays No. 1 in BCS; TCU solidifies third spot ahead of Boise State To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more. You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
Submit Post this comment to Facebook? Comments: (0)Showing: Newest first New: Most recommended!
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/11/college-hoops-seaso... 12/7/2010
Paul paces Illini victory - chicagotribune.com
Page 1 of 2
www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1109-illinois-uc-irvine--20101108,0,1055435.story
chicagotribune.com Paul paces Illini victory Sophomore guard hits 6 3-pointers in season opener By Chris Hine, Tribune reporter 10:14 PM CST, November 8, 2010 CHAMPAIGN — If only every game were a season opener for Brandon Paul.
adverti sement
Last season, Paul poured in 22 points in his Illinois debut, and Monday night, Paul started his sophomore campaign with a flourish in the 13th-ranked Illini's 7965 victory over UC Irvine in the opening round of the 2K Sports Classic. "It felt like deja vu for me," Paul said. Paul finished with 18 points, and his productive night began shortly after he checked into the game and hit three consecutive 3-pointers to put the Illini ahead 17-5. Then he smartly passed up a chance for No. 4 and penetrated and found an open Tyler Griffey for two points. "I think (that play) right there showed some strides and maturity that he's made," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. Later in the first half, Paul added two more 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 32-8. And after the Illini defense allowed UC Irvine to creep back into the game in the second half, Paul buried another from beyond the arc to settle everyone down and push the lead back to 20. Now the only question for Paul is, can he keep it up? "This year the main thing for me is just to stay consistent," Paul said. "I don't want to have a few big games and then slack off the next few games." Last season, Paul had his share of struggles, especially once Big Ten play began, and he shot just 28 percent from 3-point range. The only regret for Weber was that Paul didn't take the ball to the basket more. Probably the most encouraging sign for Paul on Monday night wasn't his scoring prowess. He handled point guard duties at times, and didn't have any turnovers. Then on the defensive end, he had a block and two steals, plus he had some key deflections and helped alter other shots.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1109-illinois-uc-irvine--20101108,0,...
11/9/2010
Paul paces Illini victory - chicagotribune.com
Page 2 of 2
"He always seems to be in the right spot," Weber said. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the Illini defense after a strong first half. UC Irvine forced Illinois back on its heels in the second half, and outscored the Illini 47-37. Overall, it was an improvement over the Illini's two exhibition games, but still not where they want to be. "We feel good, but at the same time it's something that we expect," guard Demetri McCamey said. "So we're not going to go out and tear down Green Street." chine@tribune.com Copyright Š 2010, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-1109-illinois-uc-irvine--20101108,0,...
11/9/2010
ESPN.com - Terps, Horns show early-season promise
ESPN.com: Katz
Page 1 of 2
[Print without images]
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Terps, Horns show early-season promise Maryland coach Gary Williams had an idea that Pe'Shon Howard would be a major contributor for the Terps this season. But he wasn't sure how much moxie he had in his game. A week into the season, Howard is proving to be the player who isn't afraid to do just about anything on the court. He made not one but two game-changing shots -- including the winner -- in a 75-74 win over the College of Charleston last week. Maryland enters Thursday's game against Pitt in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer with a new reason for hope. Sure, the Terps have a size and production advantage in the post with sophomore forward Jordan Williams (21 points and 13.7 rebounds in three games). And veteran guards Cliff Tucker (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Adrian Bowie have been solid. But the Terps had to find someone to replace Greivis Vasquez's attitude. "He came in very confident," Williams said. "Unless you're [Kevin] Durant, you're a little cautious. But he Pe'Shon Howard is not afraid to take -- and make -has veteran players around. [Howard] came in believing big shots for Maryland. in himself. I wasn't going to tell him anything different. He thinks he can play. He wants the ball. And he took it. He's not afraid to take it." Williams has thrived with lead guards who are similar to Howard: passionate, driven and not scared to take on a challenge. "He's got a little Greivis in him," Williams said. "What I liked about Greivis [is] that he was never afraid of what people said that didn't agree with him. Pe'Shon has some Greivis in him. He knows how to play. He's going to play his way. It's a great attitude to have as a player. He's confident. There's going to be games where he learns things. If he has a bad game, it's not going to get to him." Williams said the Terps could have quit three or four times in the game against Charleston. But they didn't. Meanwhile, Texas hasn't wilted one bit in its first couple of games, routing Navy and Louisiana Tech at home. The Horns will play Illinois in the other CVC semifinal Thursday night. Texas coach Rick Barnes has made it clear that he wants players who want to be in Austin. That's why he wasn't too miffed when Varez Ward jettisoned himself to Auburn on a transfer. So far, everyone is on board. Barnes said as soon as last season was over, the Longhorns put it in the past. "I told everyone it's going to be about the team and to have both feet in," Barnes said. "It's been good."
http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=5812168&type=blogEntry
11/16/2010
ESPN.com - Terps, Horns show early-season promise
Page 2 of 2
Jordan Hamilton has been more than good. He is averaging 22.5 points and seven rebounds a game. "Jordan wants to be coached," Barnes said. "He's really trying to learn this game." Barnes has had stud point guards who have taken over the team in T.J. Ford and D.J. Augustin. He won't have that type of lead guard this season. But he does have players who have appeared to accept their roles. Barnes said Jai Lucas is a defender. Dogus Balbay and Cory Joseph will share the ballhandling. J'Covan Brown is a wing, not a point guard, and that's evident by his four assists and four-turnover-pergame average. "I'm happy with the way Dogus and Cory are working," Barnes said. "They're going to be fine. I like those guys, the way they're playing. They had 14 rebounds between them [against Louisiana Tech]. Jai Lucas has become a pest defensively." And it helps that Texas has a star freshman forward in Tristan Thompson lighting it up early in the season as well as solid complementary players Gary Johnson and Matt Hill, who is getting the starting nod because of his practice habits. Barnes is already high on this team's defensive effort and their ability to run on the break. No offense to Dexter Pittman, but the Longhorns aren't waiting for the center to get downcourt this season. The plan is to push it as much as possible. And by holding Navy and Louisiana Tech under 60 points in the first two games, the defense is clicking. Pitt and Illinois will get the headlines later this week, and with good reason. Each team is a trendy pick to win its conference. But Maryland, with its newly discovered money player in Howard, and Texas, with its renewed confidence and chemistry, can hardly be taken lightly in this event.
ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Corrections | Contact Us | Site Map | Mobile | ESPN Shop | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information Š2009 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.
http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=5812168&type=blogEntry
11/16/2010