Iowa to face Texas at Madison Square Garden

IOWA CITY — Iowa will face Texas in the opening game of the 2K Classic at New York's Madison Square Garden, the organization announced this morning.

The Hawkeyes and Longhorns play at 6 p.m. on Nov. 20 in a 2K Classic semifinal. The other semifinal includes Syracuse and California, which tips off around 8:30 p.m. ESPN2 will televise the games. The winners and losers will meet on Nov. 21 with the consolation game beginning at 4 p.m.

Iowa last played Texas in 2009 as part of the CBE Classic in Kansas City. The Longhorns, who then were ranked No. 3, blasted Iowa 85-60 at the Sprint Center. Noteworthy moments from the game include Iowa point guard Cully Payne drilling a 70-foot shot at the first-half buzzer to tie the game at 38-38. Texas did not miss a second-half shot inside the 3-point arc to pull away from Iowa.

The teams have met four times previously — with each winning two — all on neutral floors. Iowa won in 1992 (Greensboro, North Carolina) and 2004 (Maui, Hawaii), while the Longhorns won in 2005 and 2009 — both times in Kansas City.

Iowa leads the series against California, 6-4, including the longest game in Iowa basketball history. The Hawkeyes beat the Golden Bears, 83-80, in four overtimes in 1960. Iowa and Syracuse have met only twice before, with the Hawkeyes winning both contests in 1957 and 1980. California is led by former Purdue player Cuonzo Martin, who coached Tennessee to an overtime NCAA tournament win against Iowa in March.

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