The Washington Huskies have a monster non-conference schedule set for the 2011-12 basketball season and the team will be tested early in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies will play both Marquette and Duke in New York in what's sure to be an incredibly tough early season test. Not only will the Huskies play in one of the more prestigious preseason tournaments, they'll also face two of the top programs in the land.
Dave "Softy" Mahler announced the news on his show just after noon on Tuesday. He also tweeted the news, which featured a but more information on the schedule. In addition to the Jimmy V. Classic, Washington will also take-on St. Louis in November.
UW Hoops schedule news: Dawgs will play in NYC Jimmy V. Classic at MSG vs Marquette 12/6 and vs Duke at MSG 12/10..also at St. Louis 11/20
That last matchup is also noteworthy. Prior to joining the Huskies, head coach Lorenzo Romar coached at St. Louis, spending three seasons there before he was hired by Washington.
The Jimmy V. Classic not only features elite teams, but also features an excellent cause. The preseason tournament is put on by the Jimmy V foundation, which specializes in raising and donating money for cancer research in memory of Jim Valvano. His speech, given at the 1993 ESPY Awards, continues to live-on and is one of the more inspiring things you'll ever see. You can find more on the foundation here.
We'll be back with more on the schedule as it becomes available, but these latest developments should have Washington fans excited. With games on the biggest stage against a few of college basketball's biggest teams, the Huskies have an excellent chance to make an early impact this coming season.