While football will always be the sport most closely tied to Thanksgiving, Feast Week on ESPN has something to offer college basketball junkies as well with a number of preseason tournaments featuring teams looking to notch some quality non-conference wins.
As things wind down in Maui tonight with the Duke-Kansas title game, four other tournaments are heating up, so here’s a quick look at what to expect from each one.
NIT
Bracket (Dates: 11/23, 11/25)
Semi-Final Games (11/23):
- Stanford vs. Oklahoma State – 7:00 EST (ESPN2)
- #5 Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech – 9:30 EST (ESPN2)
It’s tough to fathom anyone but Syracuse winning this one. Their depth and talent is simply on another level when compared to the other three teams.
In the first game, keep an eye on Oklahoma State’s freshman duo of Cezar Guerrero and Le’Bryan Nash. Guerrero’s eight three-pointers propelled the Pokes to a comeback win over UT-San Antonio, while the electrifying Nash is averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Syracuse has 10 players logging at least 12 minutes per game, and their top two scorers are surpisingly not Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph. Both James Southerland and Dion Waiters are scoring 13.8 points per game, with the 6-foot-8 Southerland hitting 8-0f-12 from deep and Waiters chipping in 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
Again, the Orange are clearly the best team in the field, and I would be shocked if they didn’t win the title.
- Predicted Winner: Syracuse
Battle 4 Atlantis
Bracket (Dates: 11/24, 11/25, 11/26)
Opening Round Games (11/24):
- Central Florida vs. College of Charleston – 2:00 EST (Versus)
- #20 Florida State vs. Massachusetts – 4:30 EST (Versus)
- #4 Connecticut vs. UNC-Asheville - 7:00 EST (HDNet)
- Utah vs. Harvard - 9:30 EST (HDNet)
Much to my chagrin, this will not be played under water, but like the other two events starting on the 24th, this one looks like a three-team race between Florida State, UConn, and Harvard.
As has become customary, defense is the calling card for the ‘Noles, as evidenced by a stingy defensive efficiency rating. Bernard James (10.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 78.3 FG%) is the anchor inside, and frontcourt mates Terrance Shannon, Xavier Gibson, and Okaro White have combined to average 26.8 points, 17.3 boards, and 2.8 rejections. Some offensive questions remain in the backcourt, but Michael Snaer (11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 apg) and Deividas Dulkys (11.5 ppg, 2.5 spg, 47.1 3P%) are off to hot starts and lead the team in scoring. I am salivating over a potential semi-final matchup with Harvard.
The Crimson don’t have the same level of depth inside as FSU, but Keith Wright (14.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 63.3 FG%) and Kyle Casey (13.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 61.5 FG%) are an extremely talented duo in their own right. Throw in a number of sharpshooters and you have a supremely efficient offensive attack. A Harvard-FSU matchup would be played at a painfully slow pace, but it would be interesting to see how one of the nation’s most efficient offenses fares against one of the top defensive units. If the Crimson can hold their own on the glass, an upset is absolutely possible.
UConn enters the event as the favorite after winning each of their first four games by at least 12 points. Jeremy Lamb has already killed any notion of a sophomore slump with 22.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game thus far. Backcourt mate Shabazz Napier is coming off of a triple-double versus Coppin State, and he has also tallied at least 21 points three times already this year. What’s scary is that highly touted freshman Andre Drummond (5.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg) hasn’t really gotten things going, and big man Ryan Olander, who played sparingly last season, has posted 9.0 points and 8.8 boards. The Huskies have rebounded over 50 percent of their misses this year (really, I swear), so a finals matchup against Florida State would be a street fight on the boards.
- Dark Horse: Harvard
- Predicted Winner: Connecticut
Old Spice Classic
Bracket (Dates: 11/24, 11/25, 11/27)
Opening Round Games (11/24):
- Texas Tech vs. Indiana State - 12:00 EST (ESPN2)
- Minnesota vs. DePaul - 2:30 EST (ESPN2)
- Dayton vs. Wake Forest - 7:00 EST (ESPN2)
- Arizona State vs. Fairfield - 9:30 EST (ESPN2)
As is the case with many of these tournaments, there aren’t a lot of marquee teams in the field. In fact, mid-majors like Indiana State and Fairfield are two of the top three squads taking the floor in Orlando.
The Sycamores aren’t widely considered to be on the same level as Creighton and Wichita State in the Missouri Valley, but nearly everyone is back from last season’s NCAA Tournament team. Sophomore point guard Jake Odum (7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.8 spg) does a little bit of everything for ISU and makes everyone around him better. They also have a few big bodies inside, which they will need if they face Minnesota’s talented front line in the semi-finals.
The Gophers come with a 4-0 record and ten players logging at least 11.0 minutes per game. Forward Trevor Mbakwe is the top player in this tournament and comes in averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 boards, and 1.8 blocks. He’s already taken a staggering 42 free throws and his relentlessness makes him a matchup nightmare. There are still questions in the Minnesota backcourt, but Andre and Austin Hollins (no relation) have combined to post 19.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.1 steals so far. The Gophers have been efficient defensively and even though they’re picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, they enter this event as the favorite.
Their top competition might be Fairfield, who the Gophers beat by 10 points on November 17th. The Stags entered the season as one of the top mid-major teams, but they have gotten off to a 2-2 start with their other loss coming against Providence. Part of their struggles can be attributed to the coaching adjustment from Ed Cooley to Sydney Johnson, but they have also struggled to get to the line and to keep opponents off the offensive glass. Still, the talent is there with guys like Rakim Sanders (17.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 56.9 FG%), Ryan Olander (14.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg), Maurice Barrow (13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 61.1 FG%), and Derek Needham (10.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.8 spg), but they have yet to get much out of anyone else on the roster. After this tournament, there are very few chances for marquee wins, and with Iona looking tough in the MAAC, Fairfield’s performance here may well determine whether they have any shot at an at-large bid come March.
- Dark Horse: Indiana State
- Predicted Winner: Minnesota
76 Classic
Bracket (Dates: 11/24, 11/25, 11/27)
Opening Round Games (11/24):
- Boston College vs. Saint Louis – 2:00 EST (ESPNU)
- Villanova vs. UC Riverside – 4:30 EST (ESPN2)
- New Mexico vs. Santa Clara – 9:00 EST (ESPNU)
- Oklahoma vs. Washington State – 11:30 EST (ESPN2)
Despite a number of major conference teams in the field, two of the three best teams in the tournament are from non-BCS leagues.
Saint Louis is coming off of a big win over Washington, and Rick Majerus has the Billikens playing well. His best Saint Louis team to date is led by the inside-outside duo of Brian Conklin (16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 63.0 FG%, 94.1 FT%) and Kwamain Mitchell (12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 43.8 3P%). They should easily get by BC and will challenge Villanova in the semi-finals thanks to their prowess on the defensive end.
The Wildcats were taken to overtime by LaSalle but enter the tournament 3-0. Guard Dominic Cheek (22.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 40.0 3P%) has really stepped up his game, and he teams with Maalik Wayns (19.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.7 apg) and big man Mouphtaou Yarou (17.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 63.6 FG%) to give Nova a formidable trio to build around. Overall, their offensive efficiency numbers are pretty close to what they posted last season, and if they can rachet things up on the defensive end and create more turnovers, this becomes an intriguing team in the Big East.
On the other side of the bracket, New Mexico has to be the favorite. The Lobos bounced back from a tough home loss to New Mexico State to win at Arizona State this week. Steve Alford has seven players scoring at least 6.3 points per game, including sophomore point guard Kendall Williams (10.7 ppg, 6.7 apg, 2.0 spg) and post presence Drew Gordon (9.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg). Oklahoma and Washington State are both picked to finish toward the bottom of their respective leagues, so the Lobos have a pretty clear path to the finals as long as they don’t overlook Santa Clara.
- Dark Horse: Saint Louis
- Predicted Winner: New MexicoÂ
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