Duke, UCLA In Top Five Of First Poll

Everyone on the internet already was " a buzz" about the potential Duke-UCLA matchup in the 2K Sports Classic Championship Game, but now the stakes got a little bit higher.

The ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll has made its first appearance for the new college basketball season and the Bruins and Blue Devils are 4th and 5th, respectively, going into the tournament.

WOW!!!!!

A Top 5 matchup before we even dine on the bird at T'giving.

And if you look at the early brackets in the tournament, both the Bruins and Blue Devils should make their way to New York City. The Houston Cougars could give Duke a challenge in the second round, while the Bruins will get a game from the Weber State/ Miami (OH) winner.

Can I say it again... WOW!!!!!!

Here is the entire poll...

1. North Carolina (31) 0-0 775
2. Connecticut 0-0 707
3. Louisville 0-0 694
4. UCLA 0-0 650
5. Duke 0-0 578
6. Pittsburgh 0-0 576
7. Michigan State 0-0 572
8. Texas 0-0 538
9. Notre Dame 0-0 525
10. Purdue 0-0 465
11. Gonzaga 0-0 437
12. Memphis 0-0 425
13. Tennessee 0-0 408
14. Oklahoma 0-0 387
15. Arizona State 0-0 304
16. Miami (FL) 0-0 233
17. Marquette 0-0 219
18. Georgetown 0-0 175
19. Florida 0-0 161
20. Davidson 0-0 158
21. USC 0-0 153
21. Wisconsin 0-0 153
23. Kansas 0-0 130
24. Wake Forest 0-0 129
25. Villanova 0-0 122
Others Receiving VotesUNLV 60, Saint Mary's 59, Ohio State 54, Baylor 47, Xavier 27, Syracuse 23, Texas A&M 19, LSU 19, Arizona 18, Virginia Tech 15, Brigham Young 13, West Virginia 10, Washington 8, Siena 8, Kentucky 7, Vanderbilt 7, Oklahoma State 4, Clemson 2, Washington State 1.

FIELD ANNOUNCED FOR 2K SPORTS CLASSIC

The complete 16-team field for the 2008 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, the nation's premier season-opening college basketball tournament, has been announced.

Duke, UCLA, Michigan and Southern Illinois will serve as the four regional hosts for the tournament. The Regional Rounds will take place between November 10-13 with each regional winner advancing to the Championship Rounds, November 20th & 21st, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A total of ten games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. ESPN2 will televise both Championship Round doubleheaders on November 20th and 21st. ESPNU will televise two games from each of the Durham, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles Regional Rounds. Outlined below are the dates, locations and match-ups for the tournament.

Click HERE for a complete bracket with TV Times (All times listed are ET).

Semi-Final Doubleheader
Madison Square Garden- New York, NY
November 20th - 7:00 PM (ESPN2)
Durham Winner vs. Carbondale Winner
Los Angeles Winner vs Ann Arbor Winner

Championship Doubleheader
Madison Square Garden- New York, NY
November 21st - 5:00 PM (ESPN2)
Consolation Game
Championship Game

----- REGIONAL ROUNDS -----

Durham Regional Rounds
Cameron Indoor Stadium - Durham, NC
November 10th
4:00 PM- Georgia Southern vs. Houston
7:00 PM- Presbyterian vs. Duke (ESPNU)
November 11th
6:00 PM- Regional Consolation
9:00 PM- Regional Championship (ESPNU)

Carbondale Regional Rounds
SIU Arena - Carbondale, IL
November 11th
6:00 PM- Arkansas-Monticello vs. UMass
8:30 PM- California, Pa. vs. Southern Illinois
November 12th
4:30 PM- Regional Consolation
8:00 PM- Regional Championship

Ann Arbor Regional Rounds
Crisler Arena - Ann Arbor, MI
November 11th
4:00 PM- IUPUI vs. Northeastern
7:00 PM- Michigan Tech vs. Michigan (ESPNU)
November 12th
5:00 PM- Regional Consolation
8:00 PM- Regional Championship (ESPNU)

Los Angeles Regional Rounds
Pauley Pavilion - Los Angeles, CA
November 12th
7:15 PM- Weber St. vs. Miami, OH
10:00 PM- Prairie View A&M vs. UCLA (ESPNU)
November 13th
8:15 PM- Regional Consolation
11:00 PM- Regional Championship (ESPNU)

TICKET INFORMATION: Championship Round ticket packages at Madison Square Garden are ON SALE NOW and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 212.307.7171 or through Ticketmaster.com.

In the 2007 2K Sports Classic Championship Game, the Memphis Tigers defeated the Connecticut Huskies, 81-70. Memphis went on to play for the national title against Kansas. Additionally, three of the last seven NCAA Tournament champions have begun their seasons at the 2K Sports Classic, including Maryland (2001-02), Syracuse (2003-04) and Florida (2004-05).

The inclusion of Division II teams in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is a result of recent NCAA legislation increasing the number of games that teams are allowed to play and the increased number of early season tournaments. Additionally, there is an interesting history dating back to 1982 when NAIA Chaminade upset the nation's top ranked team, Virginia, in a season opening tournament. Currently, these events can provide opportunities for teams to gain exposure which would not otherwise exist by giving them the chance to represent their institution on a national stage and give their student-athletes a competitive experience unlike the rest of their schedule.

2K Sports will be the title sponsor of the event for the fourth consecutive year. 2K Sports develops and publishes the popular and highly acclaimed 2K series of sports video games including the "NBA 2K" series - the best selling and best rated next-generation basketball videogame on the market. 2K Sports is known for delivering the most innovative and realistic sports simulation gaming experience to fans every year.

The Coaches vs. Cancer program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), exists to leverage the strength, community leadership and celebrity of the nation's basketball coaches, to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds for the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer. Since 1996, the event has raised more than $4 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer.

The 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer is produced by The Gazelle Group in Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, the Legends Classic and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit gazellegroup.com.

Visit coachesvscancer.com for more information on the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.