On November 20 & 21, New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba will welcome the Championship Rounds of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer to New York City. Held at Madison Square Garden for the 11th consecutive year, this early-season tournament will feature #4 UCLA, #5 Duke, Michigan and Southern Illinois.

The semifinals will tip off at 7:00pm on Thursday, November 20 with #5 Duke taking on Southern Illinois, followed by #4 UCLA facing off against Michigan. The winners of the semifinal games will meet on Friday, November 21 at 7:00pm for the championship game. The consolation game will be played prior to the championship at 5:00pm.

"College basketball fans will be in for a treat as four of the nation's top college basketball programs battle it out for the 2K Sports Classic title," said Commissioner Podziba. "In addition to annually showcasing some of the NBA's next big stars, the 2K Sports Classic has also raised over $4 million for the Coaches vs. Cancer program that unites the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches in the fight against cancer."

"We're excited to once again bring premier men's college basketball to New York City, while also promoting a great cause," said The Gazelle Group President Rick Giles.

The tournament began with 16 teams from 16 different conferences from around the country. The first two rounds were played at four regional sites (Durham, Carbondale, Los Angeles and Ann Arbor) with each regional winner advancing to compete in the semifinals and finals at Madison Square Garden.

UCLA is led by senior Darren Collison who scored 35 points in two regional tournament games, while being named the Los Angeles Regional MVP. Joining Collison will be an incredible freshman class that includes top recruits Jrue Holiday, Drew Gordon, J'Mison Morgan, Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson. UCLA defeated Prairie View and Miami (OH) to advance to the semifinals.

Duke successfully advanced to the semifinal round on the shoulders of Durham Regional MVP Kyle Singler. Over the first two games, Singler has totaled 38 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals while shooting 10-of-19 from the floor and 17-of-21 from the foul line. Duke defeated Presbyterian and Georgia Southern in the Regional Round.

Michigan advanced to the semifinal round after dispatching Michigan Tech and Northeastern in the first two rounds. Sophomore guard Manny Harris earned Regional MVP honors after averaging 28 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Harris had a career-best 30 points in the opener against Michigan Tech and came up just two assists shy of a triple-double in the regional final victory over Northeastern.

Southern Illinois easily defeated California (PA) in the first round of the Carbondale Regional, but faced a 15-point deficit at halftime against UMass in their second round game. The Salukis tied the game with three minutes remaining and were led down the stretch by Regional MVP Carlton Fay. Fay hit a three pointer followed by a running jumper that sparked a 12-0 run for Southern Illinois and put the team ahead for the rest of the game.

The 2K Sports Classic is an important early-season stepping stone for NCAA teams as three of the past seven National Champions started their championship campaigns in New York City at the Classic: Florida (2005), Syracuse (2002) and Maryland (2001). The tournament has also featured future NBA stars including Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose.

The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer began in 1996 and has been held at Madison Square Garden since 1998. The Coaches vs. Cancer program utilizes the experiences, leadership and excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness. To date, the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer has raised more than $4 million to support the fight against cancer.

For more information, please visit www.coachesvscancer.com.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. The Sports Commission has played an integral role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race, and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.