November 15, 2006

Madison Square Garden will be rocking and rolling on Thursday and Friday night. The 2K College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals and finals takes place in the Big Apple. Four marquee names will be doing battle with Texas, Michigan State, Maryland and St. John's.

This will be exciting early-season action. A tournament like this eliminates some of those early cupcakes.

St. John's coach Norm Roberts is trying to build a club that will bring excitement and respectability back to the Red Storm. He has his a lot of talent returning in Lamont Hamilton, Darryl Hill and Anthony Mason Jr. Newcomer Avery Patterson has provided a spark early with his perimeter shooting, including eight three-pointers in an opening win over North Florida.

Texas lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson and PJ Tucker, but Rick Barnes has confidence in his young team. Kevin Durant would have been in the NBA if the draft rules weren't changed. Durant will be a major factor for the Longhorns; he will become a household name. Another diaper dandy, D. J. Augustin, had 16 assists in the first two games. A. J. Abrams, the top returning scorer, had 28 points in a win over Chicago State.

Tom Izzo is rebuilding as well. It is never easy to replace the likes of Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis, but Izzo is confident that Drew Neitzel will lead the Spartans this season. This is a young club, but the fiery Izzo knows how to get the most from his talent.

Is this the year Gary Williams leads the Terps back to the big dance. Williams recently signed a long-term extension. D. J. Strawberry will be more of a scorer this season. A pair of diaper dandies, Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez will help handle the rock and contribute right away.

This is much more than just a basketball tournament. This will help increase awareness in the battle against that dreaded disease. Just like the V Foundation, the goal is to beat cancer.

Another great aspect of this: AMGEN pharmaceuticals, a big sponsor, has developed an important website called CHEMOCOACH.COM. They are running a contest to honor a person who has aided someone in their individual fight against cancer, like a personal coach. They will have valuable prizes for the people that have served as a guiding light. There is also information on how to help beat cancer. People should log on to enter the contest and learn more. It is crucial for people to gain knowledge in the fight against cancer.

This event will be special because of the cause. It will be intriguing basketball on a big stage.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.