Per Duke Sports Information
Duke to Face Florida in Jimmy V Classic
April 27, 2016
DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men’s basketball program will face Florida at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Madison Square Garden, headlining the 22nd annual Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic. The doubleheader, which also features a matchup between Arizona State and Purdue at 7 p.m. ET, will be televised by ESPN.
Duke is making its third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, having earned wins over Kentucky in East Rutherford, N.J., in both 1998 and 2001.
The Duke-Florida matchup features programs that have combined to win seven NCAA Championships, including four (two each) in the last 11 years. The Blue Devils own a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series with UF, though the teams haven’t met since the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
“Duke is honored to participate in the Jimmy V Classic, one of the prominent events in college basketball each season,” Duke and United States National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Certainly, Florida represents a significant challenge. Facing this level of competition, played in one of the world’s premier sporting venues at Madison Square Garden, will provide us with invaluable experience as we develop our team. Personally, the Jimmy V Classic means so much to me as Jim and I became brothers toward the end of his life. He recruited me to be a part of his vision for the V Foundation, and I am very proud to be associated with that team’s tireless efforts to find a cure for cancer.”
Florida is led by second-year head coach Mike White, the son of Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White.
Former Duke All-American Bobby Hurley, a two-time national champion with the Blue Devils and the NCAA career assists leader, is entering his second year as head coach at Arizona State and will lead the Sun Devils against Purdue in the first game of the Jimmy V Classic.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, former NC State head coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the foundation has funded more than $150 million in cancer research grants nationwide. For more information on the V Foundation, visit jimmyv.org.
