BB&T Classic

The BB&T Classic is a Washington, D.C.-based basketball event that has been held annually since 1995, when it was known as the Franklin National Bank Classic. It is staged at the Verizon Center on or around the first weekend in December. The event raises funds for the Children's Charities Foundation, a fund-raising organization that financially supports Washington, D.C.-area charities.

Played as a tournament with championship and consolation games from 1995 to 2004, the BB&T Classic has been a non-tournament event since 2005.

Format

Originally, the event lasted two days and featured four teams, highlighted by local mainstays Maryland and George Washington, accompanied by two nationally recognized programs. The first day would consist of a doubleheader pitting each of the local teams against each of the national teams. The following afternoon, a championship game would be held between the two opening-round winners. A consolation game between the two teams who lost in the opening round also took place.

In 2005, the BB&T Classic‍ '​s format was altered due to its inability to attract nationally renowned programs, partly because participating teams had two fewer home games. The event transformed from a tournament into a tripleheader played as a single-evening weeknight event. In 2008 and 2009, it was played as a doubleheader. It returned to the tripleheader format in 2010, but since 2011 has been a doubleheader.

The event has been broadcast both nationally on ABC and locally on Washington D.C.'s WDCA. The 2005 and 2006 editions were shown on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic; in recent years the BB&T Classic has been televised on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN). In 2014, Fox Sports 1 and ESPN3 each carried one game.

Maryland played in the first 19 BB&T Classic events, but opted not to in 2014, leaving George Washington as the only team to play in all 20 BB&T Classics up to that time.[1]

Tournament results[2]

Year Champion Runner-Up Consolation Winner 4th Place Tournament MVP
1995 Massachusetts Florida Maryland George Washington Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
1996 Maryland George Washington California Mississippi State Keith Booth, Maryland
1997 George Washington Maryland Kansas Pennsylvania Shawnta Rogers,
George Washington
1998 Maryland DePaul Stanford George Washington Steve Francis, Maryland
1999 George Washington Maryland Illinois Seton Hall SirValiant Brown,
George Washington
2000 Maryland George Washington St. John's Michigan SirValiant Brown,
George Washington
2001 Maryland Connecticut George Washington Princeton Lonny Baxter, Maryland
2002 Notre Dame Texas Maryland George Washington T. J. Ford, Texas
2003 Gonzaga George Washington West Virginia Maryland Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga
2004 George Washington Maryland Michigan State George Mason TJ Thompson,
George Washington

Game scores

Date Game One Game Two Game Three Date Consolation Championship
12/2/1995 Massachusetts 50
Maryland 47		 Florida 75
George Washington 66		 None 12/3/1995 Maryland 98
George Washington 81		 Massachusetts 80
Florida 58
12/8/1996 Maryland 80
California 64		 George Washington 57
Mississippi State 36		 None 12/9/1996 California 78
Mississippi State 45		 Maryland 74
George Washington 68
12/7/1997 Maryland 86
Kansas 83		 George Washington 66
Pennsylvania 62		 None 12/8/1997 Kansas 89
Pennsylvania 71		 George Washington 70
Maryland 66
12/6/1998 Maryland 62
Stanford 60		 DePaul 87
George Washington 79		 None 12/7/1998 Stanford 70
George Washington 56		 Maryland92
DePaul 75
12/4/1999 George Washington 72
Seton Hall 63		 Maryland 69
Illinois 67		 None 12/5/1999 Illinois 72
Seton Hall 61		 George Washington 74
Maryland 69
12/2/2000 Maryland 82
Michigan 51		 George Washington 85
St. John's 75		 None 12/3/2000 St John's 97
Michigan 83		 Maryland 71
George Washington 63
12/2/2001 Connecticut 84
George Washington 76		 Maryland 61
Princeton 53		 None 12/3/2001 George Washington 60
Princeton 57		 Maryland 77
Connecticut 65
12/7/2002 Texas 100
George Washington 92		 Notre Dame 79
Maryland 67		 None 12/8/2002 Maryland 93
George Washington 82		 Notre Dame 98
Texas 92
12/6/2003 George Washington 70
West Virginia 64		 Gonzaga 82
Maryland 68		 None 12/7/2003 West Virginia 78
Maryland 77OT		 Gonzaga 96
George Washington 91
12/4/2004 George Washington 96
Michigan State 83		 Maryland 78
George Mason 54		 None 12/5/2004 Michigan State 66
George Mason 60		 George Washington 101
Maryland 92
12/5/2005 Navy 82
Howard 73		 George Mason 75
American 35		 George Washington 78
Maryland 70
None
12/3/2006 Bucknell 60
George Mason 57		 George Washington 63
Virginia Tech 62		 Notre Dame 81
Maryland 74
12/2/2007 Auburn 74
George Washington 70		 East Carolina 68
George Mason 65		 VCU 85
Maryland 76
12/7/2008 Virginia Tech 79
Navy 70		 Maryland 76
George Washington 53		 None
12/6/2009 George Washington 81
Navy 69		 Villanova 95
Maryland 86		 None
12/5/2010 Florida 67
American 48[3] 		Navy 64
George Washington 57[4]		 Temple 64
Maryland 61[5]
12/4/2011 Maryland 78
Notre Dame 71		 VCU 75
George Washington 60		 None
12/2/2012 Maryland 69
George Mason 62		 George Washington 67
Manhattan 55		 None
12/8/2013 Oklahoma 81
George Mason 66		 George Washington 77
Maryland 75		 None
12/7/2014 Georgetown 78
Towson 46		 George Washington 78
Charlotte 70		 None

References

  1. ↑ Feinstein, John, "Maryland, Georgetown basketball should follow example of Philadelphia’s Big Five," washingtonpost.com, December 4, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Past Winners of the BB&T Classic". Children's Charities Foundation. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Gators Use Hot Shooting from Seniors to Defeat Eagles, 67-48". GatorZone.com.
  4. ↑ "Navy Uses Strong Defense to Top George Washington, 64-57". NavySports.com.
  5. ↑ "Maryland Falls To Temple, 64-61". UMTerps.com.

External links