COLLEGE BASKETBALL Coaches vs. Cancer Classic officially kicks off season

Two games are slated tonight, with two more set on Friday at the Garden.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic is on quite a run.
The last two national champions started their seasons in the event, and three of the eight teams last year wound up in the Final Four.
"America watches this event and that can be good or bad," Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. "If you want to be considered one of the best you have to play in these events."
The two-day showcase starts tonight at Madison Square Garden with No. 20 Wake Forest against Memphis and No. 23 Marquette facing St. John's.
On Friday night, No. 22 Pittsburgh plays Alabama and No. 10 Gonzaga faces No. 17 Saint Joseph's in the season's first double-ranked game.
Memphis returns
Memphis played in the opening game last year as well, beating eventual national champion Syracuse. Maryland started its championship season by playing in the 2001 event, the last time it was a four-team tournament.
"It seems we draw the short straw every year," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "Last year we only had seven guys for the warmup line and that included suiting up the kid who answers the phones in our office. This year we'll have one extra guy and that will make the lines easier."
Memphis, like most of the teams in the event, will be short-handed because of nagging injuries. None more so than Wake Forest which has had players miss practice for problems ranging from knee tendinitis to appendicitis.
"An opportunity to open the season on national TV sounded like a real good idea a few months ago, but with injuries and illness I'm questioning my sanity right now," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
Crimson Tide rebuilding
Alabama used a win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma in last year's Coaches vs. Cancer to vault to a No. 1 ranking. The Crimson Tide lost four starters from that team, including the entire frontline.
Jamie Dixon will make his debut as Pittsburgh's coach, succeeding his former boss Ben Howland, who went to UCLA.
"I guess most guys wouldn't want their first game to be in a situation like this but I didn't want to take this opportunity away from our kids," Dixon said. "They deserve this and they're excited."
The last of the four games is the marquee matchup.
Saint Joseph's will have an advantage in the stands as the school has sold almost 3,500 tickets for the game, not bad considering its enrollment is only about 300 more than that. The Hawks feature one of the country's best backcourts in Jameer Nelson and Delonte West.
"For us this will be a measuring stick for our younger frontcourt guys who are being thrown to the fire," Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said.
Four starters back for Gonzaga
Gonzaga has four starters back and added Washington transfer Erroll Knight. The Bulldogs, who have played in five straight NCAA tournaments, are no longer a surprise as evidenced by their preseason ranking.
"It shows the respect the program has nationally," coach Mark Few said. "Those go to programs that are well thought of and respected and have a great tradition."
The event, which is sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and began in 1996, has raised almost $2.5 million for the American Cancer Society.