University of North Carolina Athletics
RJ Davis will return to his home state when Carolina plays UConn in New York City.
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Tar Heels & Huskies To Meet In Madison Square Garden In Jimmy V Classic
August 7, 2023 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina and University of Connecticut will play on December 5 in Madison Square Garden New York City in the second game of the 2023 Jimmy V Classic in a matchup of programs that have combined to win 11 NCAA championships, including nine in the last 30 years.
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The game will mark the second straight season the Tar Heels will play in the Garden. Last year, Carolina defeated Ohio State in overtime in the CBS Sports Classic.
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"It's a great opportunity to play the defending national champions and return to Madison Square Garden, a special place that has meant a lot to me," says third-year UNC head coach Hubert Davis, who was a first-round pick by the New York Knicks in 1992 and played four seasons with the Knicks.
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"Carolina fans were amazing when we played in the Garden against Ohio State, so we know the atmosphere will be something special. It's also a blessing and honor to play in this year's Jimmy V Classic as Coach Valvano is being inducted in the Hall of Fame this year. It should be a great night to celebrate Coach Valvano and college basketball."
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The Carolina-UConn game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Florida Atlantic and Illinois will play in the other game of the doubleheader.
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This is the Tar Heels' third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, which honors the former NC State coach who died of cancer 30 years ago. UNC beat Massachusetts, 83-69, in the 1996-97 season, and lost to Indiana, 82-73, in 1999-2000. Both of those games were played in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.
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The Tar Heels and Huskies will be playing for the seventh time and first time since the 2004-05 season, when UNC beat UConn in Hartford. The Tar Heels have won five of the first six games against the Huskies.
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UConn won the national championship in 2023. It will be UNC's first game against a defending champion since beating Baylor in overtime in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
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Carolina is 30-11 in Madison Square Garden and 44-25 all-time in New York City. A pair of Tar Heels – senior RJ Davis (White Plains, N.Y.) and graduate transfer Cormac Ryan (New York City) hail from New York.
The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The men's classic began in 1995 and is in its 29th year – 20th at Madison Square Garden. The women's event debuted in 2002. Both events are part of ESPN's V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to talk to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise nearly $200 million dollars for the V Foundation. In 2022, V Week helped raise a record breaking $14.4 million dollars which was a 32% increase over 2020 fundraising.Â
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Tickets for the men's doubleheader will go on sale this fall. First priority and access to the best seats will be offered to fans who sign up for the pre-sale through jimmyvclassic.com.
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The game will mark the second straight season the Tar Heels will play in the Garden. Last year, Carolina defeated Ohio State in overtime in the CBS Sports Classic.
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"It's a great opportunity to play the defending national champions and return to Madison Square Garden, a special place that has meant a lot to me," says third-year UNC head coach Hubert Davis, who was a first-round pick by the New York Knicks in 1992 and played four seasons with the Knicks.
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"Carolina fans were amazing when we played in the Garden against Ohio State, so we know the atmosphere will be something special. It's also a blessing and honor to play in this year's Jimmy V Classic as Coach Valvano is being inducted in the Hall of Fame this year. It should be a great night to celebrate Coach Valvano and college basketball."
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The Carolina-UConn game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Florida Atlantic and Illinois will play in the other game of the doubleheader.
Â
This is the Tar Heels' third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, which honors the former NC State coach who died of cancer 30 years ago. UNC beat Massachusetts, 83-69, in the 1996-97 season, and lost to Indiana, 82-73, in 1999-2000. Both of those games were played in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.
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The Tar Heels and Huskies will be playing for the seventh time and first time since the 2004-05 season, when UNC beat UConn in Hartford. The Tar Heels have won five of the first six games against the Huskies.
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UConn won the national championship in 2023. It will be UNC's first game against a defending champion since beating Baylor in overtime in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Â
Carolina is 30-11 in Madison Square Garden and 44-25 all-time in New York City. A pair of Tar Heels – senior RJ Davis (White Plains, N.Y.) and graduate transfer Cormac Ryan (New York City) hail from New York.
The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The men's classic began in 1995 and is in its 29th year – 20th at Madison Square Garden. The women's event debuted in 2002. Both events are part of ESPN's V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to talk to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise nearly $200 million dollars for the V Foundation. In 2022, V Week helped raise a record breaking $14.4 million dollars which was a 32% increase over 2020 fundraising.Â
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Tickets for the men's doubleheader will go on sale this fall. First priority and access to the best seats will be offered to fans who sign up for the pre-sale through jimmyvclassic.com.
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Jimmy V Classic @ MSG đź“Ť pic.twitter.com/excrim4Kex
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) August 7, 2023
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