ROTHSTEIN: West Virginia to replace Tennessee in next week’s Jimmy V Classic

According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, the West Virginia Mountaineers will follow up their appearance in this week’s Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic with a stop in Indianapolis, Indiana for the 2020 Jimmy V Classic. The Mountaineers are expected to replace Tennessee in the four-team event — after the Volunteers announced yesterday that they were pausing team activities after Monday’s COVID-19 test results — and will take on the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The Tennessee and Gonzaga matchup was originally scheduled for a 7:00PM ET tip December 2nd, but that may be changed now that the matchup has changed.

The Mountaineers were initially scheduled to play Youngstown State on December 2nd, but that game was cancelled due to positive COVID cases in the Penguins program.

ESPN organized the basketball doubleheader beginning in 1995 to honor the late coach. The event, which features four hand selected teams, was originally played in the Meadowlands Arena before moving to Madison Square Garden in 2003.

West Virginia has played in the Jimmy V Classic three times before but has never won. The Mountaineers dropped their first appearance, 68-65, to the then No. 23 ranked Davidson Wildcats in 2008. The Mountaineers appeared again in 2015 with a 70-54 loss the Virginia Cavaliers. The Mountaineers last entrance into the event ended with 66-56 loss to the Florida Gators in 2018.

The Mountaineers are 0-4 all-time against Gonzaga, with the last matchup ending in a 61-58 loss in the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional Semifinal.