May 23, 2006
Texas A&M will play UCLA as part of a college basketball doubleheader at the 13th annual John R. Wooden Classic on Dec. 9 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.
The Aggies and Bruins will play in Game One while USC and George Washington take to the court in Game Two.
Expected to be among the top teams in the Big 12 nxt season, A&M will make its first appearance in the Wooden Classic. Led by head coach Billy Gillispie, the Aggies advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March where they lost by one point to LSU, an eventual Final Four team. Under head coach Ben Howland, UCLA will make its 10th appearance at the Wooden Classic -- and fourth straight -- after playing Florida in the national championship game. The tip-off will be at 12:30 p.m. (PST).
The game will mark the third meeting between the Aggies and the Bruins, but the first since 1971-72. UCLA leads the series, 2-0.
In Game Two, head coach Tim Floyd brings the USC Trojans back to the Wooden Classic for their fourth appearance. They face the regular season Atlantic 10 Champion George Washington Colonials. Led by head coach Karl Hobbs, the Colonials went undefeated in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season. This is their first Wooden Classic appearance.
Priority order forms for the 2006 Wooden Classic are available online at www.woodenclassic.com. Tickets will go on sale to the public in October.
Visit www.woodenclassic.com for more information on the Wooden Classic and the annual golf tournament and banquet benefiting Special Olympics Southern California and Orangewood Children?â„¢s Foundation.
Established in 1994, the Wooden Classic is an annual tribute to the legendary former coach and the excellence he personifies. The event, co-produced by Pantheon International, LLC and Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, has a tradition of bringing the nation?â„¢s finest college programs to Southern California.