Empire Classic Explained
The Empire Classic, formerly known as the 2K Sports Classic, is an annual college basketball event played in November at the beginning of the season and televised by ESPN. Originally known as the Atlantic City Shootout and produced by the Gazelle Group, Inc., the event was first played in 1995. The following year, it became the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic as a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society in an effort to raise funds for cancer research. In 2012, the tournament beneficiary became Wounded Warrior Project, resulting in the tournament being renamed the 2K Sports Classic. A new annual college basketball tournament benefiting cancer research, also called the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic and hosted by the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was held from 2012 to 2014.[1] In 2019, the event was renamed the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, commonly referred to as the "Empire Classic".
History
The first two events were doubleheader showcases held at the Atlantic City Convention Center (now Boardwalk Hall). From 1997 through 2001, the event was played as a tournament. Princeton won the first tournament in 1997, which took place at Continental Airlines Arena in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
In 1998, the event moved to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where it remained through 2019. In both 2002 and 2003, it was played as a showcase doubleheader. In 2004, it became a tournament again, with a new format as a 16-team event with teams from 16 separate conferences. Four predetermined regional round hosts played two games at home and the winners play in the semifinals and finals at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse won the first tournament played in this format, beating Memphis, 77–62, in 2004.
In 2007, Gardner–Webb unexpectedly won at Kentucky, 84–68, and advanced to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, preventing one of the tournament's marquee teams from playing there. To ensure that the marquee teams would play in the semifinals in the 2008 tournament, the semifinalists were predetermined, regardless of the results of the regional rounds. Beginning in 2009, the format was revised to a 12-team field and each team was guaranteed four games in the tournament, with the semifinalists advancing to Madison Square Garden and the remaining eight teams being split into two subregional tournaments played at predetermined campus sites.
In 2014, the tournament format changed again, with eight teams from eight separate conferences invited to the tournament. Two games were held at four different regional sites selected before the tournament. The semifinals and finals were held at Madison Square Garden and the remaining four teams played in a tournament format at a predetermined on-campus site. This format persisted through 2019.
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging in the United States during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, the Empire Classic was one of the very few multiteam events held during the fall of 2020.[2] With no fans permitted to attend, it took place behind closed doors at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Only four teams participated. Baylor withdrew from it after head coach Scott Drew tested positive for COVID-19;[2] Rhode Island replaced Baylor.[2]
In 2021, the tournament format was dropped, and the Empire Classic took place as a showcase event at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four teams participated, and the event consisted of two doubleheaders played over the course of two days,[3] [4]
Yearly champions, runners-up, and MVPs
Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Tournament MVP | Other participants | Venue |
---|
2023 | UConn | 81–71 | Texas | Tristen Newton, UConn | Indiana, Louisville | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
2022 | St. John's | 76–69 | Syracuse | André Curbelo, St. John's | Richmond, Temple | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
2021 | Showcase Format – No Tournament | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
20201 | Villanova | 83–74 | Arizona State | Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova | Boston College, Rhode Island | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT |
2019 | Duke | 81–73 | Georgetown | Vernon Carey Jr., Duke | Texas, California | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
2018 | Iowa | 91–72 | Connecticut | Luka Garza, Iowa | Syracuse, Oregon |
2017 | Providence | 90–63 | Saint Louis | Kyron Cartwright, Providence | Virginia Tech, Washington |
2016 | Michigan | 76–54 | SMU | Zak Irvin, Michigan | Pittsburgh, Marquette |
2015 | Duke | 86–84 | Georgetown | Grayson Allen, Duke | Wisconsin, VCU |
2014 | Texas | 71–55 | California | Jonathan Holmes, Texas | Syracuse, Iowa |
2013 | Connecticut | 59–58 | Indiana | Shabazz Napier, Connecticut | Boston College, Washington |
2012 | Alabama | 77–55 | Villanova | Trevor Releford, Alabama | Oregon State, Purdue |
2011 | Mississippi State | 67–57 | Arizona | Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State | St. John's, Texas A&M |
2010 | Pittsburgh | 68–66 | Texas | Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh | Illinois, Maryland |
2009 | Syracuse | 87–71 | North Carolina | Wesley Johnson, Syracuse | California, Ohio State |
2008 | Duke | 71–56 | Michigan | Kyle Singler, Duke | UCLA, Southern Illinois |
2007 | Memphis | 81–70 | Connecticut | Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis | Gardner–Webb, Oklahoma |
2006 | Maryland | 62–60 | Michigan State | D. J. Strawberry, Maryland | St. John's, Texas |
2005 | Florida | 75–70 | Syracuse | Taurean Green, Florida | Texas Tech, Wake Forest |
2004 | Syracuse | 77–62 | Memphis | Hakim Warrick, Syracuse | Mississippi State, St. Mary's |
2003 | Showcase Format – No Tournament |
2002 | Showcase Format – No Tournament |
2001 | Arizona | 75–71 | Florida | Jason Gardner, Arizona | Maryland, Temple |
2000 | Kansas | 82–74 | St. John's | Kenny Gregory, Kansas | Kentucky, UCLA |
1999 | Stanford | 72–58 | Iowa | Jarron Collins, Stanford | Connecticut, Duke |
1998 | Temple | 59–48 | Wake Forest | Lamont Barnes, Temple | Georgetown, Illinois |
1997 | Princeton | 38–36 | North Carolina State | Brian Earl, Princeton | Georgia, Texas | Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ |
1996 | Showcase Format – No Tournament | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ |
1995 | Showcase Format – No Tournament |
|
Most Championships
Championships | Teams |
---|
3 | Duke (2008, 2015, 2019) |
2 | Syracuse (2004, 2009), UConn (2013, 2023) | |
Updated through 2023 event.Most appearances
Appearances | Teams |
---|
7 | Texas (1997, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019, 2023), Syracuse (2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2022) |
5 | UConn (1999, 2007, 2013, 2018, 2023), St. John's (2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2022) |
4 | Marquette (1995, 2002, 2003, 2016), Temple (1996, 1998, 2001, 2022), Duke (1999, 2008, 2015, 2019), Memphis (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), California (2004, 2009, 2014, 2019) |
3 | Georgetown (1998, 2015, 2019), Wake Forest (1998, 2003, 2005), Iowa (1999, 2014, 2018), UCLA (2000, 2008, 2021), Maryland (2001, 2006, 2010), Alabama (2002, 2003, 2012), Villanova (2002, 2012, 2020), Pittsburgh (2003, 2010, 2016), UC-Irvine (2005, 2010, 2013), Alcorn State (2006, 2009, 2014), Prairie View (2008, 2015, 2019) | |
Updated through 2023 event.Participants and brackets
* – Denotes overtime period
1995
Showcase Format - No Tournament
1996
Showcase Format - No Tournament
2002
Showcase Format - No Tournament
2003
Showcase Format - No Tournament
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
[5]
2009
[6]
2010
[7]
2011
[8]
2012
[9]
2013
[10]
2014
[11]
2015
2016
[12]
2018
[13] [14]
2019
[15]
2020
The 2020 tournament was held November 25–26 behind closed doors at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions.
2021
The top two teams in the country, Gonzaga and UCLA,[16] headlined the 27th annual Empire Classic, held at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 22 and 23. Joining them were Central Michigan and Bellarmine.[17] The format reverted to a showcase event.
Showcase Format - No Tournament
2022
The tournament took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21 and 22, 2022.[18]
Game recaps: [19] [20] [21] [22]
* – Denotes overtime period
2023
The tournament took place on November 19 and 20, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.[23]
* – Denotes overtime period
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Plenty of changes next year for Coaches vs Cancer. si.com. 19 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104201319/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/ncaa/09/15/Coaches.Cancer.ap/index.html?sct=cb_t2_a12. 4 November 2012. live.
- https://bustingbrackets.com/2020/11/27/ncaa-basketball-biggest-takeaways-2020-2k-empire-classic/ Freeman, Tristan, "NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2020 2K Empire Classic," bustingbrackets.com, November 27, 2020 Accessed March 11, 2021
- Web site: UCLA to Face Bellarmine, Gonzaga in Empire Classic . UCLABruins.com . UCLA Athletics.
- Web site: Gonzaga and UCLA to meet in the 2021 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project presented by Continental Tire . Empire Classic . 15 May 2021 . Gazelle Group . 26 July 2021.
- Web site: 2008 Bracket . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090106184957/http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/cvc/cvc08_bracket.pdf . 6 January 2009 . 30 May 2021.
- Web site: 2009 Bracket . GazelleGroup.com . December 3, 2022.
- Web site: 2010 Bracket . GazelleGroup.com . December 3, 2022.
- Web site: 2011 Bracket . GazelleGroup.com . December 3, 2022.
- Web site: 2012 Bracket . 2012-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907034826/http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/wwp/wwp12_bracket.pdf . 2012-09-07 .
- Web site: 2013 Bracket . 2013-11-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131113075310/http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/wwp/wwp13_bracket.pdf . 2013-11-13 .
- Web site: 2014 Bracket . 2014-12-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141208195932/http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/wwp/wwp14_bracket.pdf . 2014-12-08 .
- Web site: Michigan, Pitt, Marquette, and SMU Headline 2016 2K Classic. 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. 7 March 2016 . Gazelle Groups. 13 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160629131223/http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/2016-2k-announcement/. 29 June 2016. live.
- News: 2018–19 College Basketball Early Season Tournaments, Events, And Neutral-Site Games. Blogging the Bracket. 2017-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20171202052829/https://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2017/11/27/16671208/2018-19-college-basketball-early-season-tournaments-events-mte-neutral-site-showcases-thanksgiving. 2017-12-02. live.
- News: 2018 Bracket. Gazelle Groups. 2018-11-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122132121/http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2018/11/2K_Bracket_2018_05.pdf. 2018-11-22. live.
- News: 2019 Schedule. Gazelle Groups. 2019-10-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20190914202731/http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/wwp/schedule-2/. 2019-09-14. live.
- Web site: UCLA to Face Bellarmine, Gonzaga in Empire Classic . UCLABruins.com . UCLA Athletics.
- Web site: Gonzaga and UCLA to meet in the 2021 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project presented by Continental Tire . Empire Classic . 15 May 2021 . Gazelle Group . 26 July 2021.
- Web site: 2022–23 Men's College Basketball Early Season Tournaments and Exempt Multi-Team Events (MTEs). April 22, 2022. SB Nation. April 25, 2022.
- Web site: Syracuse Needs OT to Top Richmond, Reach Empire Final. ESPN. November 22, 2022. November 23, 2022.
- Web site: Saint John's (NY) Defeats Temple 78–72. The Associated Press. November 22, 2022. November 23, 2022.
- Web site: Curbelo, St. John's Wins Legends, Top Syracuse 76–69 in OT. ESPN. November 23, 2022. November 23, 2022.
- Web site: Burton Leads Richmond over Temple 61–49 in Empire Classic. ESPN. November 22, 2022. November 23, 2022.
- Web site: 2023 Empire Classic Field Announced. April 4, 2023. empireclassic.net. August 9, 2023.