Previewing the NCAA Basketball Feast Week Action from November 25-27
RANT SPORTS – It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that after Championship Week when all the major conferences play their tournaments, Feast Week is the most important week on the College Basketball schedule prior to the NCAA Tournament.
It’s an important time of year for schools to square off with non-conference opponents at neutral sites and begin to craft their resumes for March. Here are big tournaments going on early in the week.
Tournament: Maui Invitational
Location: Maui, HI
Participants: UConn, Memphis, Colorado, Michigan State, Auburn, Iowa State, Dayton, North Carolina
Format: All eight teams are guaranteed three games. Monday’s winners will stay in the winners’ bracket and play for 1st thru 4th place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The losers will settle 5th thru 8th places on the same two days.
Analysis: What a loaded field we have here. UConn, Auburn and Iowa State are all currently ranked in the top five. Colorado and Michigan State, two programs that have spent some time on the bubble in recent Marchs, will play each other on Monday. The winner is likely to get UConn on Tuesday which will be a massive chance for an early resume win.
Memphis and Dayton were picked second respectively in the American Athletic Conference and the Atlantic 10 preseason polls. Those are two leagues that don’t often send more than two or three teams to the big dance. This tournament will be a great opportunity for the Tigers and Flyers against some power conference competition.
Player to Watch: Aidan Mahaney – Guard, UConn
Mahaney was a huge get for Dan Hurley in the transfer portal this offseason as the Huskies pursue a three-peat. He was a star for St. Mary’s in the WCC during the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons. Now, Mahaney gets a chance to lead the backcourt for UConn after the departures of Stephon Castle and Cam Spencer to the NBA.
Tournament: Players Era Festival
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Participants: San Diego State, Creighton, Oregon, Texas A&M, Houston, Alabama, Rutgers, Notre Dame
Format: The eight schools are divided up into two groups of four. San Diego State, Creighton, Oregon and Texas A&M are in the power group while the other four schools comprise the impact group. Group play takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Saturday will be a championship day for the tournament with the No. 1 seeds of each group playing for 1st place, the No. 2 seeds playing for 3rd place, the No. 3 seeds vying for 5th place and the No. 4 seeds squaring off for 7th.
Analysis: There’s a lot of balance in this field. Houston and Alabama are national championship contenders. Creighton and San Diego State are NCAA Tournament mainstays and will play each other for the first time since meeting in the 2023 Elite Eight. Oregon and Notre Dame are big brands known more for football but usually don’t go too long without having good hoops squads. Oregon made last year’s NCAA Tournament and Notre Dame last made it in 2022.
Texas A&M and Rutgers are two programs on the rise. The Aggies gave Houston all it could handle in the Round of 32 in last year’s NCAA Tournament. A&M already has a ranked win against Ohio State this year. The Scarlet Knights had an outstanding 2024 recruiting class. Their game against Alabama on Wednesday will be a great litmus test for how competitive Rutgers can be this season.
Player to Watch: Ace Bailey – Guard, Rutgers
Bailey was at the forefront of the aforementioned stacked recruiting class for Rutgers this year and is a projected top five pick in next year’s NBA Draft. In a lot of ways, these early season tournaments are made for players like Bailey. What better way to announce your arrival to the college basketball world than to compete against some of the best teams in the country as a true freshman.
The rosters of contending programs are not as stuffed with one-and-dones as they used to be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gush over an exciting prospect here or there when they come along.
Tournament: Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Participants: Arizona, Davidson, Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville, Oklahoma, Providence, West Virginia
Format: Identical to the Maui Invitational. Teams that win their first game will place in the top four during the following two days. Teams that lose their first game will place in the bottom four.
Analysis: This is an interesting group. Gonzaga has undoubtedly been the most successful of these teams of late. There’s a lot of history with the Arizona and Indiana programs. But it’s been over two decades since either school made a Final Four so it’s hard to continue to call either one a “blue blood.” It’s been some time since Louisville and West Virginia were nationally relevant but both programs have new head coaches and are hoping 2024-25 is the beginning of brighter days ahead.
Oklahoma and Providence have been living on the bubble in recent years. They are a combined 9-0 out of the gate this season heading into their Wednesday clash. Davidson will be a big underdog against Arizona on Wednesday. But if you’re a fan of any school in the A-10, you ought to be rooting for Davidson to have a good showing this week.
Player to Watch: Mackenzie Mgbako – Forward, Indiana
The New Jersey native has taken a good leap to start in his sophomore season in Bloomington after being named a Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season. This is a huge season for Mike Woodson at Indiana. The Hoosiers were picked to finish second in the Big 10 in Woodson’s fourth season at the helm.
They’ve yet to make the Sweet 16 under Woodson. Mgbako would be a big reason why that changes in 2025 if so.
Check out the Feast Week schedule here.
Introducing Greg Frank
Greg Frank is a dynamic sports journalist and college basketball aficionado with a passion for storytelling. He is a 2017 graduate of Temple University’s journalism program.
Greg has honed his craft across various platforms, including sports radio and freelance writing. With a deep knowledge of college basketball, he brings expert analysis, sharp insights, and a keen eye for detail to his work at Rant Sports.
Whether breaking down game strategies, profiling top players, or covering the latest NCAA action, Greg’s writing is always engaging, informative, and rooted in a true love for the game. You can follow him on Twitter @g_frank6.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
