On Tuesday December 10th four teams from around the country came together to compete in the 2019 Jimmy V Classic. The Jimmy V Classic began in 1995 in an effort to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The V foundation was founded by Jimmy Valvano, the former head coach at North Carolina State and ESPN analyst who succumbed to cancer in 1993.
The night kicked off with the #1 Louisville Cardinals and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The unranked Red Raiders came into the night in a funk after losing their last three games. Davide Moretti was a major contributor as he poured in 18 points. The Red Raider crowd seemed too much for the cardinals as every play concluded with fan fair in Madison Square Garden.
A lot of the Red Raider’s success came from their stifling defense holding Louisville star Jordan Nwora to 17.6% from three and 25% from the field. The Cardinals are now the fourth top ranked team to lose, along with Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Texas Tech is now 7-3 looking to move back into the AP top 25.
Moments later the UConn Huskies and the Indiana Hoosiers warmed up for a highly anticipated game. The Hoosiers were able to win a close matchup as guard Chrstian Vital turned the ball over with 2 seconds left on the clock leaving the Huskies without a chance to tie the game at the buzzer. Big man Josh Carlton led them offensively with 18 points. This is Carlton’s second big performance in a row as he was able to amass 19 points and 12 rebounds last week against the Iona Gaels. Tonights loss ends the Huskies three game winning streak forcing them to look into the 22 turnovers which had a major part in the loss.
For more information on the Jimmy V Classic fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: