Last best field ever?

Maui boasts an unreal lineup, though one coach worries it's the last of its kind. Plus, the wild weekend upsets, near-misses, key results, and what to watch for Feast Week.

Author

Mike Miller
November 20, 2023

Welcome to Feast Week! It’s the time of year when it feels like March, but without any of the annoying buster bracket conversations. To kick things off, we have a FREE version of The Field of 68 Daily, where I recap everything that mattered over the weekend and preview the tournaments to watch this week.

And we’ll start with the Maui Invitational, where I’ll be all week, watching the most anticipated tournament of the year and providing exclusive content all week. Consider it a taste of college hoops’ best bargain: $1 a week for all the hoops news you need.

1. We may not see anything like Maui field again

HONOLULU — The 2023 Maui Invitational isn’t your typical November tournament.

A stacked tourney field might typically have 2-3 Top 25 teams. No tourney has ever had five Top 20 teams, yet Maui features five* Top 10 teams (assuming Gonzaga jumps up the AP poll when it comes out today), four of which (Kansas, Purdue, Tennessee and Marquette) were picked to win their respective leagues, not to mention traditional powers UCLA and Syracuse.

That’s not a loaded field. It’s an absurd field.

“I truly believe it’s the greatest field ever assembled in one of these tournaments,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said Sunday. “The hard thing is, somebody’s gonna walk out of here 1-2 and still be a Sweet 16-level team, which is pretty amazing.”

These eight teams have proud history (263 NCAA tournament appearances and 17 titles) and recent success (six made the 2023 field, and all six were at least a 4 seed). 20 percent of the players on the preseason Naismith Trophy watch list will be playing in Hawai’i, which doesn’t even include Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, both of whom could lead their teams in scoring.

There’s a comprehensive tourney breakdown here, courtesy of Field of 68 Daily friend Will Warren — Kansas is the favorite to win — and overall predicted outcomes are below, courtesy of Barttorvik.com.

The team that wins this thing will have survived a gauntlet.

“We made this commitment four years ago. I don’t know if we would do it today, knowing who’s in it,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes joked. “But we’ll all come out of it better basketball teams.”

None of the coaches are worried about a potential downside of playing games against teams rated 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 34 and 116 in kenpom.com. Purdue coach Matt Painter knows a strong showing against elite programs can set the tone for a season of success, much like the Boilermakers saw last year when they beat West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke at the PK85.

“The experience of playing against elite competition, there’s nothing like it,” he said Sunday. “It also lets you know sometimes if you have real problems. Sometimes those don’t come out, but they’re gonna come out against Gonzaga. they’re gonna come out Syracuse, against Tennessee.”

Painter’s already thinking about today.

Purdue-Gonzaga is the must-see game first-round game, featuring two of the sport’s elite offenses, and the reigning NPOY against a roster with some height to throw at Zach Edey. Well, kinda. Nobody actually can match Edey’s size, but three guys who are 6-9 or taller is a start.

And again, because it’s an absurd field, the winner of this game could face a Top 10 team for three consecutive days. A pair of potential Top 10 showdowns loom for Tuesday’s winners-bracket games, while Rob Dauster’s crossing his fingers for a Purdue-Kansas final. It’s enough to make a hoops fan salivate days before turkey’s even on the table.

Savor it. Few worries that because of the increased number of conference games — the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC are all likely headed to 20+ league games — teams won’t be as eager to add events like Maui to their non-conference schedule, instead opting for smaller multi-team events, or an increase in home-and-home and neutral site one-offs.

“The way the landscape’s changing, there’s no chance we’ll see this again,” Few said. “Everyone needs to enjoy this for what it is.”

Deal. We’ll simply revel in March-worthy basketball in November.

2. Louisville’s heartbreak + more MTE results

For about two hours on Sunday, Louisville looked like it used to. The Cardinals were getting defensive stops, Skyy Clark was hitting 3s, and it looked like they’d take down No. 19 Texas in the second game of the Empire Classic.

Then Max Abmas happened.

There is, of course, more to the Louisville story than just the final shot. In a game with 21 lead changes and 14 ties, the Cardinals (2-2) were trying to squeeze out a win with big men Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Dennis Evans fouled out. After a Clark 3, they forced Texas (4-0) into a shot clock violation and had a chance to build on their 1-point lead.

But fine defensive play by Longhorns center Kadin Shedrick — and a questionable non-call on the ensuing loose ball — gave Texas the ball. You know the rest.

For his part, Louisville coach Kenny Payne remains the optimist.

Other notable MTE results:

UConn 77, Indiana 57
The Huskies (4-0) played without freshman Stephon Castle — he’ll be out at least 3-4 weeks after knee surgery — but it didn’t matter against the Hoosiers (3-1) as Tristen Newton (23 points) got whatever he wanted, and the Indiana frontline was non-existent.

Houston 69, Dayton 55
LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead combined for 34 points and No. 6 Houston (5-0) cruised to the Charleston Classic title. fwiw, the Coogs are favored to win all but two of their remaining games.

Liberty 71, Vermont 61
The Flames (5-0) got 21 points from Zach Cleveland and claimed the Myrtle Beach Invite thanks to a 10-4 run over the final four minutes.

St. John’s 91, Utah 82
Finally, a game that looked more like a Rick Pitino-led team. The Johnnies (3-2) ran (76 possessions), forced turnovers (one in every 5 possessions), and hit 3s (a season-high 13).

San Diego State 100, Washington 97 (OT)
Jaedon LeDee is on a tear. He’d already done something only Obi Toppin had done in the last 10 seasons, and merely followed that up with 34 points and 17 boards as the Aztecs (3-1) topped triple digits for the first time since 2018. He’s currently third in the nation in scoring (25 ppg), while Washington’s Keion Brooks is 10th (23.3).

Miami 91, K-State 83
Nigel Pack blitzed his former team with 28 points — “It was so much fun for me.” — and the No. 12 Canes (5-0) ran away from the Wildcats (3-2) for the Baha Mar Hoops title. Would things have been different if Nae’Qwan Tomlin had been available?

Providence 71, Georgia 64
Playing without Garwey Dual and Jayden Pierre, the Friars (4-1) shrugged off a loss to K-State at Baha Mar. Devin Carter and Josh Oduro both had 19.

Mississippi State 66, Northwestern 57
It’s time to rank the Bulldogs (5-0). They’re winning, and winning impressively, even without Tolu Smith. Only Houston and Iowa State boast a more efficient scoring defense.

3. FAU’s shooting nightmare

Florida Atlantic’s remarkable 2022-23 season was built upon an unselfish, deep team that could overwhelm opponents with a barrage of 3-pointers or never allowing an easy look at the basket. And often, the Owls did both.

Which is why Saturday’s shocking 61-52 loss to Bryant — a team fresh off a 16-point loss to Boston U, and with just a single win this season, coming against NAIA Fisher College — was the most head-scratching outcome of the weekend.

Even if FAU couldn’t produce another 35-win season, most expected losses to come during a challenging non-conference schedule, or against Memphis during AAC play. Shooting 26% from the field — 20% in the second half — and just 16% from beyond the arc? No chance.

“I can’t imagine us having another shooting performance like that ever again,” FAU coach Dusty May said.

The Owls (2-1) produced just .72 points per possession, their worst game since Feb. 24, 2022. Junior Johnell Martin (17 points on 11 shots, 11 rebounds) was the only player who played as expected. Vlad Goldin (7 points) had foul trouble, Alijah Martin (7 points) never seemed comfortable, and senior Bryan Greenlee, perhaps their steadiest player, missed all 8 shots.

Still, May knows the Owls can shrug it off.

"We have to play better offensively and have a clear picture of what we are trying to accomplish." he said, via the Palm Beach Post. "We thought we would see a lot of different defenses and their 3-2 just got us stagnant where we felt like we were always kind of open. ... We just have to get back to our identity, which is being a more together team."

4. SEC stumbles, a buzzer-beater, and more

Arkansas has never been at its best in November under Eric Musselman. Friday’s 78-72 loss to UNC Greensboro was a rarity, even for them. The Spartans were 15 ½-point underdogs, but started fast, withstood a Razorbacks run, and came away with an easy win.

"When you lose a game like this, it puts a dent in you, quite frankly," Musselman said, via the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. "This is a loss that's detrimental because it's a home game.

"I'm not going to shy away from that. I'm disappointed that we lost the game."

If there’s any consolation, it’s that No. 14 Arkansas (3-1) isn’t alone when it comes to surprising losses. It’s the sixth ranked team to lose to an unranked opponent this season.

And it wasn’t even the only SEC team. Missouri’s 73-72 loss to Jackson State was Sunday’s biggest upset (Mizzou was a 22 ½-point favorite) and one of the more dramatic finishes of the weekend.

Chase Adams’ fadaway jumper in the final seconds marked Jackson State’s first win (!) of the season.

Other weekend results to know:

Duke 90, Bucknell 60
It was Jared McCain’s turn to shine. The freshman logged the first double-double for Duke (3-1) this season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore wing Mark Mitchell notched a career-best 20 points.

Villanova 57, Maryland 40
The final score isn’t a typo, or a halftime score. It’s just the Terps (1-3) scoring their fewest points during the shot-clock era (began in 1985-86). ‘Nova held them to just 12-of-50 (24%) from the field and .68 points per possession, the lowest for Maryland since a 62-42 loss to Alabama in 2011. The ‘Cats (3-1) got serious about defense after the loss to Penn.

Xavier 66, Saint Mary’s 49

Long Beach State 94, Michigan 86
So much for the Wolverines (3-1) jumping into the Top 25. Marcus Tsohonis dumped 35 for LBS (2-2), which struggled to beat DePaul just a week earlier. Never trust November results!

Clemson 85, Boise State 68
A low-key good win for the Tigers (4-0) when March rolls around. Joe Girard scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half.

Michigan State 81, Alcorn State 49
The Spartans (3-2) finally hit some 3s in their win over Butler on Friday, then Coen Carr blew the roof off the Breslin Center on Sunday.

Florida 89, Florida State 68
Zyon Pullin made his Gators debut with 15 points off the bench, not that the Gators (3-1) really needed it. They’re back against Pitt in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday.

Western Carolina 76, McNeese State 74
Shahada Wells (37 points) had the weekend’s biggest game, but it was Western Carolina (4-0) and Vonterius Woolbright who got the win when Woolbright hit a game-winning jumper in the final 4.3 seconds.

Portland State 66, Cal Baptist 63
Yvan Ouedraogo thought he’d given the Lancers a shot at overtime. Ismail Habib had other ideas.

Georgetown 88, American 83 (OT)
This isn’t a “good” win, but Jayden Epps (31 points) ensured it wouldn’t be a bad loss for the Hoyas (3-2). Epps scored 20 of those points in the final six minutes of regulation and OT — when Georgetown was trailing by 11.

5. What else to watch this week (besides Maui)

Wednesday and Thursday are packed with college hoops. Set your calendar accordingly.

Battle 4 Atlantis (Bahamas, Nov. 22-24)

Teams: North Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan, Villanova, Memphis, Stanford, Texas Tech, Northern Iowa.
Watch: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU
Bracket: Click here

North Carolina (3-0) is the favorite, while Villanova (3-1), Arkansas (3-1) and Memphis (3-0) should all be viewed as contenders (even if the Hogs just had a confounding loss to UNC Greensboro). Memphis vs. Michigan on Wednesday is the sneaky-good game of the week.

NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, Nov. 22 & 24)

Teams: Baylor, Florida, Pitt, Oregon State
Watch: ESPN2
Bracket: Click here

The Bears (4-0) are the class of the field, boasting the best offense (1.17 ppp), defense (.93 ppp) and the player to watch in freshman Ja’Kobe Walter. Florida-Pitt is a toss-up game, and tow teams that crush the offensive glass. Florida leads the country (it grabs 50% of its misses), while the Panthers are 13th at 41%.

ESPN Events Invitational (Orlando, Nov. 23, 24, 26)

Teams: Florida Atlantic, Texas A&M, Penn State, Butler, Iowa State, VCU, Boise State, Virginia Tech
Watch: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU
Bracket: Click here

It’s not Texas A&M (4-0 for just second time under Buzz Williams) or FAU who are the teams to beat., but Iowa State (4-0) — which has topped 85 points every game this season. It did that just once last season. But while the Cyclones’ offense happens to be scoring, their defense is still their strength. They lead D-I in turnover %, and are Top 10 in defensive rebounding and effective FG%.

Fort Myers Tip-off (Fort Myers, Nov. 20-22)

Teams: (Beach Division) Virginia, Wisconsin, SMU, West Virginia; (Palms Division) UNC Wilmington, Murray State, App State
Watch: FS1
Brackets: Click here

Expect Virginia (4-0) to claim the Beach Division, unless Wisconsin (2-2) somehow figures out its jumbled rotations. The Palms division is a 3-team round-robin.

Vegas Showdown (Las Vegas, Nov. 23-24)

Teams: NC State, Vandy, BYU, Arizona State
Watch: ESPN2
Bracket: Click here

When you’ve stuffed yourself on hoops (and turkey) here’s the event to help you wind down. BYU (4-0) should cruise to the title.

Rady Children’s Invitational (San Diego, Nov. 23-24)

Teams: Iowa, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, USC
Watch: FOX, FS1
Bracket: Click here

A new entry into the Feast Week field should be worth watching. Oklahoma (4-0) is the slight favorite, though a healthy USC (3-1) will probably be popular pick to win if the two meet in the final. It’s hard to pick against that backcourt of Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier.

Empire State of Mind

UConn (4-0) steamrolled Indiana, while Texas (4-0) somehow rallied past Louisville in the Empire Classic first round. Should we really expect the Huskies to have any issues against the Longhorns, who will be overmatched inside, outside and on the wing? I’m not betting on it. (7 pm ET)

Other games to watch (all times ET)

  • Drake (3-0) vs. Stephen F. Austin (2-1), 1:30 pm

  • Purdue (3-0) vs. Gonzaga (2-0), 5 pm (ESPN2)

  • Virginia (4-0) vs. Wisconsin (2-2), 6 pm (FS1)

  • UCLA (3-0) vs. Marquette (3-0), 11:30 pm (ESPN2)

Follow this man

Reed Sheppard is working on folk hero status in Lexington. After a hot few minutes against Kansas, the freshman guard followed up with seven 3-points in a rout of Stonehill. Not only that, Rob Dauster argues his ability to run the Kentucky offense makes him the guard who should be starting at point guard, not DJ Wagner.

Links as you decide if you really need a 20-pound turkey.

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