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The Wooden Legacy an all new tournament to begin this year

Wooden Legacy

A new early-season college basketball tournament will debut this year, days after Thanksgiving. The John R. Wooden Classic and the Anaheim Classic have joined together to form the Wooden Legacy, which is set to take place on Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, according to press release on Tuesday afternoon.

The Wooden Legacy will be a three-day, eight-team event with two different locations for 2013. Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton will play host on Nov. 28-29. The tournament will then move to the Honda Center in Anaheim for the championship game.

All 12 games are scheduled to air on ESPN.

“We’re delighted to honor our father and his passion for the game of basketball through this new and exciting event,” Jim and Nan Wooden, son and daughter of the legendary coach said in a press release. “For the past twenty years we have done tremendous work for local charities, while celebrating his philosophies and are certain the establishment of the Wooden Legacy will only enhance these efforts.”

The 2013 field will be comprised of Creighton, Marquette, Miami (FL), San Diego State, Arizona State, George Washington, College of Charleston and Cal State Fullerton. UCLA will participate in the 2016 edition of the Wooden Legacy.

“For many years it has been a tremendous honor for UCLA to be able to celebrate the greatness of Coach Wooden and his family by participating in the Wooden Classic,” UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero added. “While we will miss the opportunity for our team to compete in the event annually, the newly-created Wooden Legacy will bring much-deserved national exposure to Coach Wooden’s incredible body of work, both on-and-off the court. I can assure you that every four years, when UCLA is eligible under NCAA scheduling rules, we will be there. I have no doubt that the tournament will quickly become one of the must-see events of the college basketball season.”

The John R. Wooden Classic had been around since 1994. The Anaheim Classic emerged in 2007.

Terrence is also the lead writer at NEHoopNews.com and can be followed on Twitter: @terrence_payne