The John R. Wooden Classic was an annual college basketball event hosted by the Honda Center in Anaheim, California . Named after coach John Wooden , the event was founded in 1994 and featured a December neutral-site doubleheader until its final two editions, which were single games.
6-541: The event was merged in 2013 with the DirecTV Classic , an eight-team, three-day tournament, to form a new event, the Wooden Legacy (now Vegas Showdown). The John R. Classic was founded in 1994 by Atherton Communications in honor of the former Hall of Fame Purdue player and UCLA head coach John Wooden . The inaugural event was nationally televised by NBC Sports and featured four top 10 teams, including
12-512: The 2012 tournament. In 2013, the event merged with the Wooden Classic to form a new event, the Wooden Legacy . * – On January 3, 2010, USC announced it would punish the Men's Basketball Program for rules violations committed in the 2007–2008 season, when O. J. Mayo received improper benefits in violation of NCAA rules all wins during the 2007–2008 season, including any wins during
18-527: The John R. Wooden Classic High School Invitational, which featured future NBA players, Tyson Chandler (Dominguez), Keith Bogans (DeMatha Catholic), Joe Forte (DeMatha Catholic) and Casey Jacobsen (Glendora). The Classic was historically a high-profile doubleheader invitational event in early December. After Wooden died in 2010, it became a single game in January in the 2011–12 season due to scheduling conflicts and
24-461: The first meeting in 20 years between UCLA and Kentucky, when they played for the 1975 NCAA Championship (won by UCLA), which marked John Wooden's 10th national title and the final game of his illustrious coaching career. The Wooden Classic grew to include a charity golf tournament and coaches banquet, which raised over $ 1 million for Children's Hospital and Special Olympics, two of Coach Wooden's favorite charities. The 1998 and 1999 events also included
30-699: The transition to the event's new owners, Honda Center . The classic returned to December in the 2012–13 season, but was again a single game. Since its inception, the games were played in Anaheim, California , at the Honda Center, known earlier as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. In June 2013, the Wooden Classic merged with the DirecTV Classic to form the Wooden Legacy , a three-day, eight-team event. DirecTV Classic The DirecTV Classic
36-494: Was an eight-team college basketball tournament held during Thanksgiving week at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim , California . The tournament began in 2007, and was owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television . Games were televised on ESPN2 and ESPNU. Until 2012, it was known as the "76 Classic"; ConocoPhillips 's 76 chain owned the naming rights to the tournament. DirecTV sponsored
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