BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Tennessee will face Texas Tech, and Syracuse will meet former Big East Conference rival Villanova in men’s basketball pairings for the Jimmy V Classic fundraiser for cancer research and awareness.
The men’s doubleheader is Dec. 7 at Madison Square Garden. Women’s matchups five days later pit Kentucky at rival Louisville and South Carolina hosting Maryland. ESPN will broadcast all four games.
Syracuse leads the series with Villanova 39-33, but they will meet for the first time since the Orange lost 82-77 to the Wildcats in nonconference play on Dec. 22, 2014. The schools have combined for four NCAA championships, with Villanova claiming titles in 2016 and 2018.
Tennessee and Texas Tech will meet for just the second time and first since the Volunteers won 88-71 in December 1953.
South Carolina and Maryland, both perennial top-10 teams, will face off for the fourth time. The Gamecocks have won two of three meetings, including 63-54 last November.
Louisville’s women will make their second consecutive appearance in the Jimmy V Classic. The Cardinals are 21-34 against the Wildcats but have won the past four series meetings.
The Jimmy V Classic is named for former coach and ESPN commentator Jim Valvano, who died of cancer on April 28, 1993.
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