Dec. 16
The 8th annual Jimmy V Classic will be a special event -- a night of great basketball which will help raise serious dollars for the fight against the dreaded disease of cancer. It's important because it honors my late buddy, Jimmy Valvano, the former coach and ESPN analyst who battled cancer so courageously. He would be so excited and proud to know that the school he coached to the national championship, N.C. State, is participating in this year's event.

The Classic is slated for Tuesday at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J.

	Gonzaga guard Blake Stepp has stepped up big-time in OT wins over Washington and Washington State.

N.C. State-Gonzaga | Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
N.C. State and Gonzaga will be a heckuva matchup. The Zags have a physical team across the frontline, featuring the experienced Cory Violette, Zach Gourde and Ronny Turiaf. In this day and age, it's interesting to see how Turiaf loves coming off the bench -- he really provides a spark. He's a legit starter who is so active inside, but he loves his role. And Gourde is a force on the glass.

Winston Brooks handles the point-guard chores for Gonzaga, but the rock is in the hands of Blake Stepp. You'd better believe Mr. Stepp has caught the eye of N.C. State coach Herb Sendek in his preparation for this game. You can't beat Gonzaga without containing Stepp, who has proved himself with big performances in overtime wins over Washington and Washington State.

Remember, Gonzaga lost All-American guard Dan Dickau to the Atlanta Hawks in June's NBA draft. Dickau had such a big season for the Zags last year, and Stepp has taken over as Mr. Clutch.

Coach Mark Few is one of the hottest names in the coaching profession. Few has kept the program strong after Dan Monson (currently Minnesota's coach) led the Zags to the Elite Eight.

Sendek has done a great job with the Wolfpack. Last season, he led N.C. State to its first NCAA berth since 1991. It was a pressure-cooker season where his team needed a solid record or Sendek probably would have been sent packing. His team responded big-time as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Julius Hodge is Mr. Versatile with his penetration and transition ability. 6-foot-8 Marcus Melvin has great inside-outside skills.

This contest comes down to containment. Can Gonzaga contain Hodge and Melvin? Can N.C. State contain Stepp? It will be a battle.

Oregon-Cincinnati | Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The second game features Oregon vs. Cincinnati. The tenacious, defensive-minded Bearcats have had a problem scoring points -- just look at their 50-44 loss to Xavier. When you hold a team to 50 points, you expect to win. But coach Bobby Huggins' team couldn't score consistently against the Musketeers.

Cincinnati hasn't found anyone to step up and replace the offensive productivity of Steve Logan, who scored at a 22 ppg clip last season. Jason Maxiell has great potential, but now instead of being the third or fourth option, he's the first -- and defenses look to double up against him.

Maxiell will have to find a way to provide big point production inside. He has a world of potential.

Oregon may have the top 1-2 punch in America in the two Lukes -- Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour. They combined to score 51 points in a win over Kansas at the Rose Garden. Coach Ernie Kent raves about his tandem -- he feels they're as good as any duo in America.

Cincinnati's defense will have a tough time against Oregon's high-powered offense. Watch the matchup on the wing between Jackson and Cincy's Leonard Stokes, a tough competitor with loads of experience. And the Bearcats need Taron Barker to handle the point against Ridnour, which isn't an easy task.

It will be an exciting and interesting night as two West Coast teams travel east. Can Oregon and Gonzaga come through and go home with big Ws?

The biggest winner of all is the Jimmy V Foundation as dollars come in to fight the intolerable disease of cancer. For more information on donating to the Jimmy V Foundation, call 1-800-4-JIMMYV.