Top 10 2K Classic Games

TOP 10 2K CLASSIC GAMES

Here’s a look back at some of the best games in 2K Classic history.

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1. #1 Connecticut 71, #10 Duke 66
November 12, 1999
After Stanford pulled off an overtime upset of Duke in the first semifinal, fans thought the Duke-UConn rematch of the 1998 NCAA championship game was a lost cause. However, unranked Iowa stunned the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Huskies in the nightcap, setting up a UConn-Duke consolation game. The Huskies sent Duke to its first 0-2 start in more than 40 years, but the loss spurred the Blue Devils to an 18-game winning streak and an eventual No. 1 ranking.

2. #1 Gonzaga 83, #2 UCLA 63 (Championship)
November 23, 2021
For the 43rd time in history, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams met when top-ranked Gonzaga faced second-ranked UCLA at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This did not hinder the Zags as Gonzaga dominated from the start to finish in earning an 83-63 win. Andrew Nembhard scored a game-high 24 points to earn MVP honors. Drew Time had 18 points and eight rebounds as Chet Holmgren added 15 points for Gonzaga.

3. Arizona 75, #5 Florida 71 (Championship)
November 9, 2001
Rick Anderson wasn’t around for Arizona’s run to the NCAA title game in 2000, but he came up with the big plays as the Wildcats upset their second straight Top 10 team at The Garden. The junior forward, who sat out in 2000 as a redshirt, scored Arizona’s final six points against No. 5 Florida to win the 2001 event. The Wildcats had shocked No. 2 Maryland, 71-67, the previous night.

4. #5 Duke 86, Georgetown 84 (Championship)
November 22, 2015
Grayson Allen scored a career-high 32 points and No. 5 Duke beat Georgetown 86-84. Derryck Thornton had 14 points and Matt Jones scored 11 for the Blue Devils. Allen came off the bench and set a career high with 30 points in Friday night’s win over VCU and then returned to the starting lineup against the Hoyas and went 9-for-12 from the field in his fourth game with at least 25 points. L.J. Peak’s dunk with 17:10 left gave the Hoyas a 54-53 lead, but the Blue Devils responded with a 10-0 run.

db4d64245. #18 UConn 59, Indiana 58 (Championship)
November 22, 2013

Shabazz Napier scored 27 points, including 11 over the final seven minutes, to lead No. 18 UConn to a 59-58 victory over Indiana. Napier’s driving basket with 1:34 left to play turned out to be the final points of the game. Indiana turned the ball over twice and Yogi Ferrell missed a jumper in that span. Napier missed a 3¬pointer and was called for an offensive foul in the hectic finish that had the Madison Square Garden standing for the final 90 seconds. UConn would go on to win the national championship in April.

6. St. John’s 62, #12 Kentucky 61
November 9, 2000
The Red Storm trailed the Wildcats by four points with just 22 seconds left to play as they rallied behind New York native Omar Cook for a comeback victory. Down two with eight seconds to play, Anthony Glover hit a layup and got fouled to make it a 3-point play. Cook made his college debut a memorable one, scoring 18 points, dishing out five assists and setting up the play that would tie the game in the final moments.

2009 2K Sports Classic7. #24 Syracuse 87, #4 North Carolina 71
November 20, 2009
The first half started out fine for No. 4 North Carolina as the Tar Heels took a 39-37 lead at the intermission. However, the second half wasn’t so good as No. 24 Syracuse used a 22-1 run to start the second half to blow by the Heels, 87-71, to win the Classic for the second time since 2004. Tournament MVP Wes Johnson had 25 points and eight rebounds in leading the Orange.

8. #7 Kansas 99, #17 UCLA 98
November 9, 2000
Kenny Gregory led Kansas with 24 points as the Jayhawks outran the Bruins, despite a combined 67 points by Earl Watson, Jason Kapono, and T.J. Cummings. The Bruins were down 22-6 early in the first half and nearly came all the way back. UCLA went on to score 97 points in the consolation game for a total of 195 points for the championship rounds — still a tournament record.

9. Florida 75, #16 Syracuse 70 (Championship)
November 18, 2005
Taurean Green had 23 points and keyed a late second-half run in Florida’s 75-70 victory over No. 16 Syracuse in the 2005 title game. Florida trailed 62-60 with 6:43 left before going on a 12-0 run, and Green had eight points during that span, earning tournament MVP honors. The game sparked the unranked Gators to go on to win back-to-back national championships.

10. Maryland 62, Michigan State 60 (Championship)
November 17, 2006
D.J. Strawberry scored 17 points for Maryland, which shot 55 percent from the field in beating Michigan State 62-60. The Terrapins were able to win despite scoring just two points over the final 3 1⁄2 minutes and survived a hectic finish at The Garden. Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel hit a three with 5:19 left to get the Spartans within one, 52-51, but the Terrapins hit two 3-pointers in an 8-2 run that put them up 60-53 with 3:42 left. The Spartans used a 6-2 run to get within 62-59 with 1:21 to play.