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College basketball’s Feast Week guide: A loaded Maui Invitational and so much more – The Athletic
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March isn’t the only time for wall-to-wall men’s college basketball featuring top teams in a tournament setting.
Welcome to Feast Week, when schools from all over the country travel to (usually) neutral sites for multi-team events, or MTEs. These games don’t have the sky-high stakes of March Madness, but they give us a chance to learn which teams look like true contenders and which ones still have much to figure out. Plus, they provide a great excuse to sit on the couch and watch TV while gathering with (or escaping from) family during the Thanksgiving holiday.
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There are so many tournaments — including, potentially, one of the greatest ever in Hawaii — that it can be hard to keep track of all the action. Here, then, is your guide to what we feel are the most important and most interesting Feast Week events. Let’s overindulge.
(All times ET; AP rankings as of Sunday)
The @MauiInv field is STACKED 🤯
We are in for a good one in November 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5AC6XTgSCd
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) July 26, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Monday through Wednesday; title game 5 p.m. on Wednesday (ESPN)
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
Why to watch: This is arguably the most loaded field in the storied tournament’s history, with No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 4 Marquette, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 11 Gonzaga and tradition-rich programs UCLA and Syracuse. Purdue-Gonzaga and UCLA-Marquette are first-round games! Kansas could play Marquette in the second round! National player of the year Zach Edey plus All-Americans Hunter Dickinson and Tyler Kolek in beach clothes! And the tournament will help in the relief efforts for victims of the Maui wildfires. This is can’t-miss TV.
The official bracket for the 2023 @badboymowers Battle 4 Atlantis is here!
We look forward to an exciting tournament at @atlantisbahamas on @espn featuring @razorbackmbb, @memphis_mbb, @umichbball, @unc_basketball, @uniathletics @stanfordmbb, @texastechmbb, and @novambb. pic.twitter.com/n4uqsYrIeS
— Battle4AtlantisOfficial (@B4AOfficial) August 2, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Wednesday through Friday; title game 3:30 p.m. on Friday (ESPN)
Where: Paradise Island, Bahamas
Why to watch: A potential semifinal round featuring No. 20 North Carolina vs. No. 21 Villanova and Michigan vs. Arkansas would be compelling, although Texas Tech and Memphis might have something to say about that. Michigan’s better-than-expected start to the season gives this tournament a boost in interest. We’re in wait-and-see mode with a lot of these teams, so this should be a revealing three days.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
MATCHUPS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2023 EMPIRE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY @continentaltire
Sunday, November 19th @ 1pm EST@UConnMBB vs. @IndianaMBB@TexasMBB vs. @LouisvilleMBB
Purchase 🎟️tickets at: https://t.co/jgieMzlKgH pic.twitter.com/yFKNseFZ0l
— Empire Classic (@EmpireClassicBB) August 14, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Monday
Where: New York City
Why to watch: Reigning national champion UConn blew out Indiana on Sunday and will face No. 19 Texas at 7 p.m. Monday (ESPNU). The Longhorns needed a buzzer-beater from Max Abmas to beat Louisville, which will play Indiana in the consolation contest.
The complete bracket, featuring 6⃣ returning NCAA Tournament teams! pic.twitter.com/FUMIdW2hsL
— ESPN Events Inv (@ESPNEventsInv) August 8, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Thursday, Friday and Nov. 26; title game 1 p.m. on Nov. 26 (ESPN)
Where: Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Why to watch: A potential semifinal game between No. 10 Florida Atlantic and No. 13 Texas A&M is awfully enticing. Iowa State-VCU and Boise State-Virginia Tech are the kind of powerhouse mid-major vs. Power 6 games that rarely happen outside of these events. The possibility also exists that Penn State and VCU could play here, too; Mike Rhoades left VCU to coach Penn State this offseason.
🚨The matchups are here and the bracket is set!🚨 Secure your tickets 🎟 for the 2023 NIT Season Tip-Off on November 22 & 24 at @BarclaysCenter. Come see who will take the tip-off crown 👑! #NITTipOff@BaylorMBB @GatorsMBK @Pitt_MBB @BeaverMBB pic.twitter.com/1t38PPzsNI
— NIT Season Tip-Off (@NITTipOff) August 8, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Wednesday and Friday; title game 5:30 p.m. on Friday (ESPN)
Where: New York City
Why to watch: No. 15 Baylor should get by Oregon State in the opener, setting up a title tilt against Florida or Pitt, two potentially underrated teams.
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JUST ANNOUNCED: @OU_MBBall set to play @IowaHoops at 12PM PT on Thanksgiving Day followed by @SetonHallMBB vs. @USC_Hoops at 2:30PM PT for Day One of the #RadyChildrensInvitational
Get Tix: https://t.co/O7h8D29AsO
Read more:https://t.co/2FWUR9DBjU pic.twitter.com/PKeA5akVv5
— Rady Children’s Invitational (@RCISanDiego) August 17, 2023
When: Thursday and Friday
Where: San Diego
Why to watch: This is a pretty solid field for a first-year event; then again, who says no to a free trip to San Diego? We’ll get Thanksgiving Day hoops with Oklahoma vs. Iowa and No. 16 USC vs. Seton Hall, and the first-day winners and losers meet Friday. USC is coming off a disappointing home loss to UC Irvine, but you’ll still want to see top freshman Isaiah Collier play. (Bronny James will not be suiting up for the Trojans, alas.) The first-day games are on FS1, with Day 2 on Fox.
Only 5⃣0⃣ days until Emerald Coast Classic @AlabamaMBB @OhioStateHoops @OregonMBB @SantaClaraHoops @mercermbb @LionUpMBB @TSUTigersMBB @WMUMBB #BasketballOnTheBeach🏀😎🌴🏖️ pic.twitter.com/EtTzYcrGcr
— Emerald Coast Classic (@EmeraldCClassic) October 6, 2023
Link to schedule
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Destin, Fla.
Why to watch: No. 23 Alabama and Ohio State square off Friday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network), followed by Oregon and Santa Clara. The championship game is 6 p.m. on Saturday.
🏀🦃 Thanksgiving plans?
Grab your seats for the ultimate showdown at the Acrisure Classic! Watch as 4th ranked Michigan State University battles it out with the 12th ranked Arizona Wildcats.
Get your tix here: https://t.co/uGLBo45JZZ
Who’s taking the W? Let us know below! pic.twitter.com/yVY5Wfb6Ek
— Acrisure Arena is the Coolest Spot in the Desert! (@AcrisureArena) November 7, 2023
When: Wednesday and Thursday
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Where: Palm Springs, Calif.
Why to watch: This is an MTE, but all you need to know is that No. 18 Michigan State and No. 3 Arizona will play on Thanksgiving Day, immediately following the Lions-Packers game on Fox. This virtually guarantees that this will be one of the highest-rated nonconference games of the year. So don’t eat too much pie while watching football.
Opening-round matchups are set!@BadgerMBB vs @UVAMensHoops @WVUhoops vs @SMUBasketball
Who’s going to #OwnTheFort this Thanksgiving?https://t.co/JXrU7UlOzc pic.twitter.com/J4OlUs5QIg
— Fort Myers Tip-Off (@FTMyersTipOff) July 7, 2023
Link to schedule
When: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Where: Fort Myers, Fla.
Why to watch: The headliner here is in the Beach Division, where Wisconsin and Virginia will play at 6 p.m. on Monday on FS1. SMU and West Virginia are the other teams in that bracket. The Badgers already have lost by double digits to Tennessee and Providence, so they’re in dire need of a good result.
☀️ The 2023 #SunshineSlam Schedule! ☀️
🎟️ Tickets ON SALE now at: https://t.co/pqSDWv5TGN! 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/x3huHGfRdy
— Sunshine Slam (@thesunshineslam) October 11, 2023
Downloadable bracket
When: Monday and Tuesday
Where: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Why to watch: The Beach Division is also where it’s at here, with a potential title-game match of No. 25 Colorado and Florida State at 4 p.m. on Tuesday on CBS Sports Network. But Richmond and UNLV won’t be pushovers.
Big-time college 🏀 in Kansas City! pic.twitter.com/iAZY9UBFES
— Hall of Fame Classic (@HOFClassic) September 6, 2023
Link to schedule
When: Wednesday and Thursday
Where: Kansas City
Why to watch: No. 8 Creighton is the main attraction here, and a possible Thanksgiving Day championship game (4 p.m., CBS Sports Network) between the Bluejays and underrated Colorado State is a reason to postpone your tryptophan-induced nap.
(Top photo: David Becker / Getty Images)
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Brian Bennett is a senior editor for The Athletic covering college basketball. He previously wrote about college sports for ESPN.com for nine years and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal for nine years prior to that. Follow Brian on Twitter @GBrianBennett