The California Golden Bears (4-1) will face the No. 22 Texas Longhorns (4-1) in the third-place match to complete their run in the 2K Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warriors Project. Both sides will seek redemption Friday at 2 p.m. PT to make the best of their trip to Madison Square Garden.
Mike Krzyzewski’s No. 1 Duke Devils (5-0) handed Mark Fox his first loss as the head coach of California Thursday night in an 87-52 semifinal drumming, which also ended the Bears’ best season start since the 2015 season. Similarly, ahead of their Thursday matchup, the Longhorns had earned their first national top-25 rankings appearance since Nov.