With a nice mix of basketball and fun, the 2008 Old Spice Classic was as good as it gets.
(Just ask the coaches.)
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“[The 2008 Old Spice Classic was] the best preseason field in the country this year, without a doubt. There were probably seven tournament teams, at the worst six, which is an incredible field. Nobody can match that. It’s been wonderful tournament. My wife and kids and my coaches’ wives and kids all had a great time. The Welcome Reception at Hollywood Studios was big-time for our kids, players and coaches. You can still stay serious about basketball and do stuff like that, that’s what makes this such a neat event.”
--Gonzaga Coach Mark Few
Watch highlights from all 3 Gonzaga games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“If you looked at all the holiday tournaments in 2008, by far the Old Spice Classic was the most challenging—and as a coach, the scariest. As a fan, and someone who knows basketball, it’s great to come [to Orlando] and see a lot of great teams. I’ve told our team that this is like an NCAA regional, in the format and quality of the teams. The hospitality was first-class. In only a short period of time, this tournament is entrenched already. It will be extremely sought after. It’s exactly the type of tournament coaches and players want to participate in.”
--Georgetown Coach John Thompson III
Watch highlights from all 3 Georgetown games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“The [2008] field was tremendous. It’s a great statement that a young tournament like this can have this level of teams in it. It’s also important to remember that a lot of these teams have a choice [in terms of the tournaments they attend]. It’s especially good for the players to be a part of it. [Orlando] is a big family setting. A lot of times you get caught up in all the NBA stuff. This is the real world here in terms of people saving up their money to make a trip like this once a year.”
--Maryland Coach Gary Williams
Watch highlights from all 3 Maryland games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“We were in Maui about three years ago and they said that was the best field ever. If the 2008 Old Spice Classic field isn’t one of the best fields ever, I don’t know ... I love Siena and Wichita State, and they are supposedly non-BCS schools. This, to me, is as good a tournament as you can find, and I have a feeling this is going to turn into, maybe, the best tournament of its kind. Then, you throw in how we were treated and how the tournament is run, and it was just phenomenal.”
--Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo
Watch highlights from all 3 Michigan State games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“The 2008 Old Spice Classic is one of the best fields ever assembled by any tournament, besides the postseason. You won’t find better competition, that’s for sure. It’s always good to go against competition and see what your team is made of this time of year. Because of this 2008 field, more people are going to want to be a part of it for years to come. They see we aren’t all afraid to come here and play against each other and get some great experience and national exposure on ESPN.”
--Oklahoma State Coach Travis Ford
Watch highlights from all 3 Oklahoma State games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“The Old Spice Classic is a first-class event, starting with the quality of competition. This has been phenomenal in terms of experience, and I think that’s what it really is about. Yes, it’s a basketball experience, but it’s an overall experience, too. It’s been wonderful. I’ve referred to the Old Spice Classic as the Maui Invitational of the East and that has clearly been established.”
--Siena Coach Fran McCaffery
Watch highlights from all 3 Siena games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“This has been an Elite Eight-type field. I told my guys every team here is going to be an NCAA Tournament team. There are three or four teams that are Sweet 16 or Elite Eight teams. When I was 13 years old, I came to Disney with my parents for the first time, and it was a very special deal. It was a two-year process where we saved money for a couple years. When I took the monorail through the A frame hotel, I thought that was the greatest ride. I had never seen a train go through a building before in my life. I just remember really appreciating the fact that my family had saved to come to the Magic Kingdom and to a magical place. It was magical for me. So needless to say this was more than basketball for me, and my guys.”
--Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl
Watch highlights from all 3 Tennessee games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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“Top to bottom, this 2008 field is as good as there is in the county. You’ve got the Maui Invitational with North Carolina, Texas and Notre Dame, but the bottom of this tournament is better--when you go all eight teams. This tournament could be as good as there is. I’ve said this year, that from top to bottom, the Old Spice Classic has to be the best field of any tournament in the country. With the ESPN name and Disney, that’s a pretty strong combination.”
--Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall
Watch highlights from all 3 Wichita State games:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
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