Another November tournament was just introduced in college basketball. On Tuesday, it was announced by ESPN that the John R. Wooden Classic and the Anaheim Classic would join to create the Wooden Legacy event.
The tournament will run Nov. 28-Dec. 1 with bracket pairings to be unveiled sometime in the summer. Schools included in the inaugural event: Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, College of Charleston, Creighton, George " data-canon="Washington Huskies" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0">, Marquette, Miami and San Diego State.
This bracket is a mutation of the Wooden Classic, which has been around for two decades, and the Anaheim Classic, which came to be in 2007. In past years, the Wooden Classic was a mere doubleheader instead of a bracketed event. Now that changes. The tournament will take place in Orange County and is slated for a minimum of four years.
"We're delighted to honor our father and his passion for the game of basketball through this new and exciting event," Jim and Nan Wooden, the legendary UCLA coach's children, said in a joint statement. "For the past 20 years, we have done tremendous work for local charities, while celebrating his philosophies and are certain the establishment of the Wooden Legacy will only enhance these efforts."
The first two rounds of the event will be played at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym. The Honda Center in Anaheim will host the semifinals and championship.
UCLA won't be able to participate until 2016 due to NCAA stipulations that teams play in the same event once every four years, minimally.
