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On Tuesday, the Gazelle Group announced the pairings and schedule for the Abe Lemons Classic at the Erwin Center this fall as the Texas Longhorns host three opponents to honor the legendary head coach.
The week-long event will feature games against Northern Colorado on Nov. 17, San Jose State on Nov. 20, and California Baptist on Nov. 24. The three visitors will play each other as well.
“We are excited to compete in an event which will honor the legacy of the late Coach Abe Lemons, one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball and a member of the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor,” Texas head coach Chris Beard said in a statement released by the school. “I had the pleasure of meeting Coach Lemons and spending time with him during my first year as an assistant with Coach Knight. Coach Lemons was truly one of a kind. His sense of humor and personality were second to none. He was the ultimate winner as a coach, and his teams played innovative styles and with a commitment to teamwork. Coach Lemons is a Texas legend.”
“The Abe Lemons Classic is another early step to Unite the Texas Basketball Family,” Beard continued. “It is a great opportunity to honor Coach Lemons and his family while also recognizing and embracing all of Coach’s former players and staff.”
Lemons was a coach for 34 years, including a stop at UT Pan American and two stops at Oklahoma City University, registering an all-time mark of 599-343 before retiring in 1990. From 1977-82, Lemons led the Longhorns to an overall record of 110-63 (.636), including an NIT Championship in 1978 and back-to-back Southwest Conference titles in 1977-78 and 1978-79.