This summer, Canadian basketball fans will get a chance to witness some of the world's strongest young talent competing in the GTA.
From July 25th to July 29th, Canada's Under 21 Young Men's National Team will play host to China, Greece and Australia.
This five-day competition will take place at the Hershey Centre, in Mississauga, Ontario.
Going head-to-head will be current CIS/NCAA players, future NBA stars and some of the strongest players in the world.
This tournament is in preparation for the 2005 Under 21 FIBA World Championship being held in Argentina later this summer.
This will be an opportunity for basketball enthusiasts across the GTA to catch a glimpse of the U21 Young Men's National Teams in action as they compete for global dominance.
The namesake of the 2005 Jack Donohue International Classic is the Canadian coaching legend, Jack Donohue.
The tournament will honour his tremendous contributions to the game in our nation and abroad.
Having led the Canadian Senior Men's National Team to a fourth place finish in the 1976 Olympics, a 6th place finish in the 1988 Olympics, and a gold medal at the 1983 World University Games, Donohue is among the top Canadian coaches of all time.
Additionally, Donohue was key in the development of players such as recent Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Bill Wennington and Gerald Kazanowski, and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Mary-Jane Donohue, widow of Jack Donohue, said of the naming of the tournament that, "it is a great honour to have the classic named after him. He was always very interested and involved with youth of all ages. He loved seeing them playing sports, especially basketball".
She also noted that, "I think that the opportunity to interact with people from around the world is amazing, especially in a sporting setting".
The team's head coach, Dave Crook, added, "This summer is an exciting time for Canada basketball as we look to make our mark on the world stage at the FIBA Under 21 Young Men's World Championship.
Having the opportunity to play here in Canada in front of our home fans before the FIBA U21 World Championship will be an experience our athletes will never forget".
Jack Donohue International Classic Schedule (all games to be played at The Hershey Centre)
Monday, July 25th:
China v. Greece 6pm
Canada v. Australia 8pm
Tuesday, July 26th:
Australia v. China 6pm
Canada v. Greece 8pm
Wednesday, July 27th:
Australia v. Greece 6pm
Canada v. China 8pm
Thursday, July 28th:
Semi-final 1 6pm
Semi-final 2 8pm
Friday, July 29th:
Bronze 6pm
Gold 8pm
(FIBA June 8, 2005)
