Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Fight For Iowa | Hawk Talk Monthly — February
PRINCETON, N.J. – National basketball powers Syracuse, Connecticut, Oregon, and Iowa headline the 24th annual 2K Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project (@2kclassic), which returns to Madison Square Garden this coming November.
Tickets for the 2K Classic Championship Rounds presented by Continental Tire go on sale Wedneday, February 28, and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849 or through Ticketmaster.com.
In addition to playing in the Championship Rounds presented by Continental Tire at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Nov. 15-16, Syracuse, Connecticut, Oregon, and Iowa will host a pair of regional round games on campus. The four regional round hosts combine for 110 NCAA appearances, 16 Final Fours, and eight National Championships.
Iowa (Head Coach: Fran McCaffery, Big Ten Conference) – In eight seasons at Iowa, Fran McCaffery is the first head coach in program history to lead Iowa to 18 or more wins in six straight seasons, while his 150 wins with the Hawkeyes is the program’s fourth-highest total…14 of the 16 players in this year’s roster are expected to return next season, including all five starters and each of the top 12 scorers, led by sophomore forward Tyler Cook, who leads Iowa in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg)…classmate guard Jordan Bohannon paces the Hawkeyes with 166 assists and ranks second to Cook with a 12.9 ppg average…Iowa previously played in the 1999 and 2014 2K Classics, advancing to the championship game in 1999, and sports a 3-3 2K Classic record…Iowa has been to 25 NCAA Tournaments and three Final Fours.
Syracuse (Head Coach: Jim Boeheim, Atlantic Coast Conference) – Jim Boeheim is in his 42nd season at Syracuse and two weeks ago won his 920th career game, which ranks second all-time…he has also guided the Orange to 38 postseason berths, including 32 NCAA appearances…all five starters on this year’s roster are expected to return next season, as well as each of the top nine scorers…sophomore guard Tyus Battle leads the Orange with a 19.8 ppg average…junior guard Frank Howard averages 15.3 ppg and has a team-high 149 assists and 55 steals…freshman forward Oshae Brissett leads Syracuse with 8.8 rpg and scores at a 14.5 ppg clip…the Orange have made 38 NCAA Tournament appearances and six Final Fours, winning the 2003 National Championship…the Orange, who have played in more 2K Classics than any program, will be making their sixth appearance (2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014) and own a 14-3 record and titles in 2004 and 2009.
Connecticut (Head Coach: Kevin Ollie, American Athletic Conference) – Kevin Ollie is in his sixth season at UConn and already ranks fourth all-time in victories…he was the fastest coach in school history to reach 50 wins and the second-fastest to 100 wins…he also led the Huskies to the 2014 NCAA title after winning the 2K Classic championship earlier that season…11 of 15 players are expected to return next season, including each of the Huskies’ top three scorers…junior guard Jalen Allen leads UConn with a 18.1 ppg average to go with a team-best 122 assists…sophomore guard Christian Vital is netting 15.0 ppg and has a team-high 43 steals…junior swingman Terry Larrier is scoring at a 13.8 ppg clip…McDonald’s All-American Alterique Gilbert is expected to be healthy after playing just six games as a freshman this season (9.0 ppg)…UConn has been to 33 NCAA Tournaments, five Final Fours, and has won four National Championships…the Huskies will be making their fourth appearance in the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project (1999, 2007, 2013) and are 8-2 in the event.
Oregon (Head Coach: Dana Altman, Pac-12 Conference) – Dana Altman has been at the helm of the Ducks’ program for eight seasons and during that time Oregon has posted eight straight winning seasons, just the second time in school history that this feat has been accomplished, while the 206 wins in this span are a school record…Altman’s streak of 21 straight winning seasons is the sixth-longest streak among active coaches in the country…the Ducks are expected to return nine players, including three starters from this year’s squad, led by sophomore guard Payton Pritchard, who leads Oregon in scoring (14.6 ppg) and assists (145)…freshman forward Troy Brown Jr. nets 11.8 ppg and has a team-best 6.4 rpg average…the Ducks also welcome the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN, led by No. 4-rated Bol Bol, son of former NBA player Manute Bol…Oregon has advanced to 14 NCAA Tournaments (including the last five in a row) and two Final Fours (including last season), and won the 1939 National Championship…the Ducks will be making their 2K Classic debut.
Wounded Warrior Project is the beneficiary of the 2K Classic. With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, WWP is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they adjust to their new normal and achieve new triumphs. Offering a variety of programs and services, WWP is equipped to serve warriors with every type of injury – from the physical to the invisible wounds of war.
