Which teams are playing in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic?

ESPN will showcase four of college basketball’s top teams in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The Illinois Fighting Illini will face the Texas Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. ET in Madison Square Garden, and the Duke Blue Devils will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at MSG at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The Classic is named for Jim Valvano, the late NC State coach and ESPN commentator who died of cancer in 1993. The showcase is part of Jimmy V Week, during which ESPN raises funds and awareness for cancer research. The Jimmy V Classic has been an annual fixture in college basketball since 1995.

Jimmy V Classic 2022

No. 17 Illinois vs. No. 2 Texas
Iowa vs. No. 15 Duke

Illinois has had a strong start to the year despite a tough schedule. The Illini come in off a loss to Maryland, one of just two this season, in which senior Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. put up an impressive 19-point performance. Texas will be nearly impossible to beat, though. The undefeated Longhorns crushed Gonzaga and took care of Creighton last week as four players put double-digit points on the board.

Duke was able to notch their first win over a ranked team with a victory over No. 25 Ohio State last week after falling to Kansas and Purdue early in the season. Center Kyle Filipowski is the guy to keep an eye on for the Blue Devils this season. Iowa has just a single loss this season, and junior forward Kris Murray withdrew his name from NBA Draft consideration to return to the Hawkeyes after becoming the top scorer off the bench last year. The Hawkeyes are still looking for a ranked win.