UConn to Play in 2K Sports Classic Next Season

UConn will be playing in the 2K Sports Classic next season. The Huskies (along with Boston College, Washington and Indiana) will host a pair of regional round games in Storrs Nov. 14-17. Win or lose, UConn and the three other hosts will all head to Madison Square Garden for the championship rounds Nov. 21-22.

Here's the press release:

Tickets are now on sale for the Championship Rounds of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, which returns to Madison Square Garden for the 2013-14 men's college basketball season.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Championship Round games of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project at Madison Square Garden are on sale now and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849 or through Ticketmaster.com.

Headlining the field for the 19th annual 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project are Indiana, UConn, Boston College, and Washington. These four teams, which combine for 101 NCAA Tournament appearances, will each host a pair of regional round games on campus from Nov. 14-17 before heading to the World's Most Famous Arena for the Championship Rounds on Nov. 21-22. The remainder of the 12-team field will participate in subregionals held at campus sites.

Indiana - The Big Ten regular season champions spent 10 weeks ranked No. 1 this season...owns a 26-5 record...has won five National Championships and has been to 36 NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance last year...three of the five starters are underclassmen, highlighted by sophomore forward Cody Zeller (team highs 16.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and junior guard Victor Oladipo (13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg)...head coach Tom Crean will again welcome a top-rated recruiting class next season.

Connecticut - The Huskies have won three National Championships and have played in 31 NCAA tournaments...at 20-10 UConn posted its 20th 20-win season over the last 24 seasons...first-year head coach Kevin Ollie is expected to see the return of his top seven scorers and all five starters from this year, led by junior guard Shabazz Napier, who is the Huskies' leading scorer at 17.1 ppg to go along with 129 assists...sophomore guard Ryan Boatright is right behind Napier with an average of 15.4 ppg to go with a team-best 131 assists.

Boston College - Head coach Steve Donahue has a team that is expected to return all five starters and seven of its top eight scorers...leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Anderson, a sophomore forward, is averaging of 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a game...freshman guard Olivier Hanlan is netting 14.6 ppg to go along with 72 assists...the Eagles, 15-16 this year, have been to 18 NCAA Tournaments.

Washington - Head coach Lorenzo Romar is in his 11th season and has led the Huskies to 207 wins over the last nine seasons, including 17 this season...10 underclassmen are on the roster, led by junior guard C.J. Wilcox and his 16.8 ppg scoring average...the Huskies have been to 16 NCAA Tournaments in their history and won either the Pac-12 Conference regular season or tournament championship in each of the previous four years (2009-12).

In all, fifteen of 20 starters are expected to return next season.

Matchups for the Championship Rounds, as well as the entire bracket for the 2013 2K Sports Classic, will be announced at a later date.

At last year's 2K Sports Classic, Alabama's Trevor Releford earned MVP honors, highlighted by his 25-point effort in the Championship Game, as the Crimson Tide rolled to the tournament title. 'Bama downed Villanova, 77-55, in the title match after Rodney Cooper hit the game-winning shot in Alabama's 65-62 semifinal win over Oregon State the night before. The crown marked the second year in a row that an SEC school emerged victorious.

Wounded Warrior Project is the beneficiary of the 2K Sports Classic. The mission of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla.