Syracuse Basketball: 2017 Match-Up With UConn Part Of Jimmy V Classic
News has emerged that the Syracuse basketball team will continue their old rivalry with the UConn Huskies. Jim Boeheim also commented on the news.
The Syracuse basketball squad suits up against former Big East foe UConn on Monday night, so naturally it’s a good time to talk about the programs’ clash next year, right?
ESPN announced in a press release that the 2017 Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic will feature the Orange against the Huskies, as well as the defending national champions, Villanova, versus Gonzaga.
About a month ago, CBS Sports reported on details of this event, citing its own sources, but ESPN now has made it official.
This is a juicy doubleheader. Villanova, the newly anointed No. 1 team in the country and a long-time Big East rival of SU, hits the court for the first-time ever against No. 8 Gonzaga, which fell to the Orange this past March in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
Syracuse and Connecticut are struggling a bit these days, but they’re still, well, Syracuse and
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Connecticut. If you recall, they did play a six-overtime marathon a few years back, among many other thrilling contests.
The 2017 Jimmy V Classic is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 5, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with game times set to get announced at a later date.
The 23rd-annual event, to air on ESPN, will represent a part of the 11th-annual Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research, which since its inception has raised millions of dollars for cancer research.
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim offered this statement in the ESPN media announcement:
“We enjoy playing in New York City as much as any road venue in the country and Madison Square Garden is a familiar location for our fans, as well. The fact that it is the Jimmy V Classic is special to our program as well. Coach Valvano and our program have shared a commitment to finding a cure for cancer. Syracuse is proud to participate in this game.”
As we’ve previously noted, the Orange is planning to square off with perennial Big 12 power Kansas on Dec. 2, 2017, at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. CBS Sports also first reported this titanic rematch of the 2003 national title game.
In what is Boeheim’s last scheduled season at SU, his team’s non-conference slate, which also includes Georgetown and a “TBD” opponent in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, sure looks sweet.
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