In June it was a rumor, in July it is official: IU will take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Dec. 8 at 9:00 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in the annual Jimmy V Classic.
The IU-Pitt match-up will be the second game of a doubleheader, following a battle between another Indiana program and Big East squad: Butler and Georgetown. IU is 8-8 all-time at Madison Square Garden and also 4-3 versus the Panthers.
Pittsburgh, a No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, loses four of its top five scorers from last year's 31-5 squad, including floor general Levance Fields and recent NBA draft picks Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. Jamie Dixon does have five-star recruit Dante Taylor joining the team in the fall.
Go to IUHoosiers.com for more information on The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic on Oct. 14. Below the jump is the official press release.
BRISTOL, Conn. - The Indiana University men's basketball team will face Pittsburgh in the second game of the 2009 Jimmy V Classic scheduled for 9 p.m., Tuesday December 8 in New York's Madison Square Garden. Butler will face Georgetown in the opening contest at 7 p.m., with both games set to air on ESPN. This is the 15th Annual Classic, with Indiana making its second appearance in the event (1999).
"My wife and I are contributors to the V Foundation and it is an honor for us to participate in the Jimmy V Classic," said IU Head Coach Tom Crean. "This is annually one of the premiere events in college basketball and it is always exciting to take a team to Madison Square Garden. We have great respect for the Pittsburgh program."
The two early-season college basketball events showcasing top programs on ESPN and ESPN2 will conclude the third annual Jimmy V Week, a week-long initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raise funds for cancer research December 2-8.
Tickets for the Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic can be purchased through ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171, or in person at the Madison Square Garden Box Office later this summer.
