Turkey Day has long been the NFL’s turf, but college basketball has crept further and further into the holiday TV inventory with several prestigious in-season tournaments before and during Thanksgiving week, billed as “Feast Week.”
Here, we’ll break down the five most interesting tourneys and multi-team events that should be on your radar later this month. No. 1 Kansas and No. 6 Duke will battle in Vegas on Nov. 26 as part of the “Vegas Showdown,” but we didn’t count that, siding with events that utilize a bracket or at least a championship round.
1. Maui Invitational
When: Nov. 25-2
Where: Lahaina, Hawaii
Don’t Miss: No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 7 Iowa State, Nov. 25, 9 p.m. ET
The tournament synonymous with Feast Week returns to wildfire-ravaged Lahaina after a year in Honolulu. Other quarterfinal games include No. 3 UConn vs. Memphis, No. 10 North Carolina vs. Dayton and Michigan State vs. Colorado, but the Tigers and Cyclones are legit and one will have to head to the loser’s bracket right away. Auburn has already beaten a Big 12 team known for its defense in Houston.
2. Battle 4 Atlantis
When: Nov. 27-29
Where: Paradise Island, Bahamas
Don’t Miss: Potential semifinal of No. 16 Indiana vs. No. 4 Gonzaga, Nov. 28, 12 p.m. ET
Provided Indiana beats Louisville and Gonzaga takes care of West Virginia on the opening day — fair bets, we think — the Hoosiers and Bulldogs should provide an entertaining semifinal clash with NBA-level talent all around the floor. Zags guard Ryan Nembhard has been tremendous this season (22 assists, two turnovers) while bigs Mackenzie Mgbako and Oumar Ballo lead an Indiana roster trying to live up to sky-high expectations. No. 9 Arizona is the best team on the other side of the bracket, which also features Oklahoma, Providence and Davidson.
3. Players Era Festival
When: Nov. 26, 27, 30
Where: Las Vegas
Don’t Miss: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 8 Houston, Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ET
Alabama looks like an offensive juggernaut again. Houston is guaranteed to bring a top-five defense like usual. Outside Kansas-Duke, this might be the best single game of Thanksgiving week. It’s part of a brand-new multi-team event that promises NIL opportunities for the participating programs; whether that works within the bylaws of the NCAA is still anyone’s guess. Other teams include No. 14 Creighton, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 24 Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oregon, and San Diego State.
4. Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship
When: Nov. 21-22
Where: Nassau, Bahamas
Don’t Miss: No. 12 Baylor vs. No. 22 St. John’s, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. ET
Baylor scheduled tough. The Bears opened the season against Gonzaga and Arkansas and now find out where they stand in a matchup against Rick Pitino and a high-octane Johnnies offense, a challenging test for both programs. The winner gets a matchup the next day with the winner between No. 11 Tennessee and Virginia.
5. Rady Children’s Invitational
When: Nov. 28-29
Where: San Diego
Don’t Miss: BYU vs. No. 25 Ole Miss, Nov. 28, 5:30 p.m. ET
This tournament also features a Final Four rematch of No. 13 Purdue and North Carolina State in the other semifinal Thanksgiving Day. The real reason to flip away from the Dallas Cowboys in what could be a battle of backup quarterbacks with the NY Giants is to catch a strong Ole Miss team taking on BYU and Egor Demin, an exciting 6-foot-9 guard from Russia who’ll be hooping in the NBA this time next year.
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