Oklahoma-Villanova will headline doubleheader at Pearl Harbor
On the 74th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, one of the buildings that withstood the attack will host a special commemorative event.
Pearl Harbor’s Bloch Arena will host a college basketball doubleheader that will pit likely preseason top 15 teams Oklahoma and Viilanova in the marquee game and Oregon and Navy in the nightcap.
“We are honored to play in this Pearl Harbor event and we will use this occasion to pay our respect to the fallen,” Navy coach Ed DeChellis said in a release announcing the event. “It will be very special for Navy to play on the base on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack and we are looking forward to joining Oregon, Villanova and Oklahoma in a great field.”
The Oklahoma-Villanova should attract plenty of attention since it figures to be one of next season’s most anticipated non-conference games.
The Sooners return four starters from a 24-win Sweet 16 team including reigning Big 12 player of the year Buddy Hield and standout forward Ryan Spangler. The Wildcats return five of their top eight players from a 33-win team that won the Big East and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament but was upset in the round of 32.
Anticipation for the Oregon-Navy game won’t be the same from a basketball standpoint, but the emotional element of that matchup should be memorable. It will surely be emotional for the Midshipmen to play at the same base at which about 2,400 people were killed, catapulting the United States into World War II.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
