June 03--A new event will celebrate basketball legends produced on the asphalt and hardwood of Chicago's playgrounds and gyms.
The Tribune first reported Thursday morning that a United Center doubleheader featuring Illinois and Northwestern will double as a tribute to the players and coaches who have called Chicago home. The State Farm Chicago Legends event was officially announced Thursday afternoon.
Illinois will play BYU and Northwestern will duel Dayton on Dec. 17. The day will feature a celebration of so-called "Legends of Chicago basketball," selected by a yet-to-be-formed committee.
"When I heard about the vision to have two local teams playing and to honor some greats from the past, I thought it was a great idea," NU coach Chris Collins said in an interview.
Said Illinois coach John Groce: "Countless players from the city have lasting legacies within our program, so it's a great chance for our team to be part of (this)."
KemperLesnik, the Chicago-based marketing agency that manages the Maui Invitational and CBS Sports Classic basketball doubleheader, will produce the event. Organizers estimate more than 230,000 alumni from the four schools live in the Chicago area.
Organizers' goal is to make this an annual event with at least two Midwestern teams playing each year.
Northwestern, which won 20 games last season, continues to seek its first NCAA tournament berth. Illinois likely needs a strong season to save Groce's job. Dayton has made the last three NCAA tournaments, and BYU reached the NIT semifinals in March.
State Farm also sponsors the annual Champions Classic featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. It will be played at New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15 after taking place at the United Center last season.
The CBS Sports Classic with Kentucky, UCLA, Ohio State and North Carolina moves to Las Vegas on Dec. 17.
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
