MSU, UConn to tipoff season tonight with historic first

The Michigan State Spartans and the University of Connecticut Huskies are set to tipoff in a matter of hours at the 2012 ESPN Armed Forces Classic basketball game tonight at Hangar 5 on Ramstein.

The game is part of ESPN’s Veteran’s week initiative to honor the men and women who have served and are still serving in the U.S. military.

This year America will see Ramstein’s Airmen at one of the Air Force’s premier strategic bases, while the teams play the first NCAA basketball game at an overseas location.

“We are proud to host the inaugural Armed Forces Classic at Ramstein Air Base,” said Brig. Gen. C.K. Hyde, 86th Airlift Wing commander. “This is the largest sporting event we’ve ever hosted; this is a great opportunity to showcase America’s Airmen and for our Airmen to be a part of an NCAA event.”

This match-up is dividing squadrons; friendships are boiling into rivalries. The words on everyone’s lips are, “Who will win this game?”

The game is a rematch of the 2009 Final Four match-up between these two powerhouses, where MSU came out on top during the semifinals in Detroit.

The Spartans are coming into this season ranked 14 in the nation, while the Huskies are currently unranked. Both teams lost key players from last year, and are a bit younger. There will be some growing to do before they reach the caliber of old.

While at Ramstein, the players toured the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and visited with service members. They also held an open practice to meet and greet fans and hosted a kid’s clinic for some of the children on base.

This was a chance for the players and coaches to see what service members do in Europe and be a small part of history.

“I’m really excited about the game because I love college basketball; any college basketball game is a good game,” said Senior Airman Kyle Bubb, 86th Munitions Squadron crewmember. “It makes me feel like I’m back home.”

The game is being broadcast live at multiple locations around base including, Rooney’s Sports bar and J.R. Rockers. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch first-hand college basketball history, as these two NCAA college basketball teams go head to head.

This is the first of several games being played at different military installations to commemorate Veterans Day.