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Feast Week guide (and weekend results)
Clear your schedule. Beyond a stellar Maui Field, two other standout tournaments tip off today, while the the rest of the week is just as good. Plus, Duke, Nebraska and Tennessee earned statement wins, Rutgers got a shock from Kennesaw State, multiple MTE champs were crowned, and more from a fun weekend.
Mike Miller
November 25, 2024
Good morning! Ready for the best week in college hoops that’s not in March?
1. What to watch as Feast Week tips off
When the 2023 Maui Invitational earned acclaim as perhaps the best tournament field outside of the month of March, it was largely because it had five Top 10 teams in the field. This year isn’t far off.
The 2024 version — which is back at the Lahaina Civic Center after wildfires forced a move to Honolulu last year — features three Top 10 teams in Auburn, Iowa State and UConn (their rankings will adjust slightly after today’s AP poll), a Top 20 team in UNC, plus Michigan State, Memphis, Dayton and Colorado. All but one the Buffs are usually mentioned as NCAA Tournament-caliber teams this season, but Tad Boyle’s team is 4-0 and should be able to hang with Michigan State.
That said, there is one thing wrong with this year’s field: No. 4 Auburn (4-0) plays No. 5 Iowa State (3-0) in the first round. That’s terrible planning, and sends a Top 10 team to the loser’s side of the bracket right away. (Full bracket here.)
It’s not the end of the world, but it is a minor annoyance in what should be an awesome three days.
Maui Invitational
Where: Lahaina Civic Center
When: Nov. 25-27
Watch: ESPN networks
Here’s a quick look at some other tourneys starting today.
Fort Myers Tipoff
Where: Suncoast Credit Union Arena (Ft. Myers, Fla)
When: Nov. 25-26
Watch: FS1
The lowdown: This one’s got two divisions, Palms and Beach, which splits the teams. Beach has Michigan (4-1) playing Virginia Tech (3-2) to start, while South Carolina (3-2) has Xavier (5-0) in the other semifinal. Wolverines vs. Musketeers would be an awesome final. Miami (Ohio), Siena, Jacksonville and Mercer are in the Palms.
Sunshine Slam
Where: Ocean Center at Daytona Beach, Fla.
When: Nov. 25-26
Watch: CBS Sports Network & Baller TV
The lowdown: Another with two divisions, Beach and Ocean. Beach features the power conference teams (Penn State, Fordham, Clemson and San Francisco), while the Ocean has Radford, Chicago State, Drexel and Purdue Fort Wayne. Those games are on Baller TV. Clemson (4-1) and Penn State (5-0) are co-favorites, but don’t dismiss the Dons (4-1), who have size and experience.
Also coming this week:
The Players Era Festival (Nov. 26-27, 30) features Top 10 teams Houston and Alabama, plus Creighton, Texas A&M, Oregon, SDSU, Notre Dame and Rutgers.
The Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 27-29) includes Gonzaga, Arizona, Indiana, Louisville, Oklahoma, Providence, West Virginia and Davidson.
And a bunch start on Thanksgiving: ESPN Events Invitational (Nov. 28-29) has Florida, Wake Forest, Minnesota and Wichita State, the NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 28-29), which has Utah State, St. Bonaventure, Northern Iowa and North Texas. The Rady Children’s Invitational features Purdue, BYU, NC State and Ole Miss, while the Acrisure Invitational (Nov. 28-29) includes TCU, Colorado State, Washington and Santa Clara and the Acrisure Classic (Nov. 28-29) has Arizona State, Saint Mary’s, USC and New Mexico.
Clear your schedule accordingly.
2. Three notable defensive statements from Friday
Offenses have stolen the show through the first few weeks of the season. Maybe that’s why Duke, Nebraska and Tennessee caught my eye on Friday.
