Dec 6, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) reacts after scoring and drawing a foul against the Texas Longhorns during overtime at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Basketball: Jimmy V Classic-Illinois at Texas
Since 1995 the Jimmy V Classic has been an elite display of college basketball held at Madison Square Garden for means of gathering support to promote a cause far greater than any sporting event – cancer research.
In the first matchup we saw #2 overall ranked Texas Longhorns battle a scrappy #17 ranked Illinois for bragging rights. This Big 10/Big 12 showdown did not disappoint as the Illini battled back from an eight point deficit at the 2 minute mark of regulation to send the game into extra minutes. From then on, the script developed into a one sided massacre as the underdog Illini proved victorious in the additional period 17-10. Shooting a perfect 5-5 from behind the arc, Baylor transfer, Matthew Mayer, propelled his team to the win adding 21 points while standout Senior Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. poured in 15 of his own. Illinois handed a finesse style Texas offense their first loss of the season, proving that the Garden is where dreams turn into reality.
The second bout of the Classic involved a highly contentious ACC juggernaut in the Durham Duke versus a desperate Iowa Hawkeyes squad led by the brother of this year’s #4 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Kris Murray. Duke’s defense forced the Hawkeyes to shoot just under 19% from three going 3-16. Veteran Guard Jeremy Roach led scoring with 22 while New York native and Fordham Preparatory attendee, Kyle Filipowski, recorded a double-double in just 25 minutes of play. Newly elected Duke Head Coach, Jon Schier, picked up his first Jimmy V Classic win by a score of 74-62. This statement victory proved to Coach K, a long time friend of Jimmy V, that the future of Duke basketball is in good hands.
