College basketball’s Feast Week is upon us! For the next 10 days, fans are treated to high-level hoops from morning until late at night, pitting some of the best programs in the sport against each other in events that will tell us a lot about how the 2022–23 season will pan out. Here’s a look at the five men’s events you’ll want to keep the closest eye on and my picks to win each one.
Main Event, Nov. 18–20, Las Vegas
Field: Baylor, Illinois, UCLA, Virginia (BRACKET)
This four-team field is loaded, with each in the top 20 of the most recent AP poll. But what makes me so interested to watch this tournament is how much each team still has to prove. Wins in this one won’t be easy to come by and will move the needle in a major way nationally.
Illinois is the most “unknown” of the group and one of the biggest question-mark teams in the country, with a new-look roster featuring a freshman point guard in Skyy Clark and several players in new roles, but with the talent to make a Final Four. They’ve been untested so far in three “buy” games against inferior opponents, but will be thrown into the fire this weekend.
Excitement is high around Virginia, the rare team that brings back five starters in this day and age. But has this Hoos roster that wasn’t all that close to the NCAA tournament a season ago made the jump into a contender? Facing a team as talented as Baylor on Friday should tell us a lot.
Baylor and UCLA are a tad more proven, but each has question marks of its own. This will be the first big game for star freshman Keyonte George, an essential piece in this Bears backcourt. And for UCLA, the Bruins have two freshmen of their own in key roles in Amari Bailey and Adem Bona. This game will also serve as a key litmus test for breakout star Jaylen Clark, who has emerged into a huge role after coming off the bench for two seasons in Westwood.
Championship Prediction: UCLA over Baylor
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Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off, Nov. 19–20, Uncasville, Conn.
Field: Maryland, Miami, Providence, Saint Louis (BRACKET)
Another four-team field. I’m excited for this one because all four teams feel like they could end up sweating out the bubble come Selection Sunday.
Kevin Willard has opened his tenure at Maryland with three comfortable victories, but the Terps will be tested heavily this weekend. Saturday’s matchup with Saint Louis should be a good one: The Billikens are coming off a huge win over Memphis on Tuesday and have high-major talent, including one of the best backcourts in the country headlined by PG Yuri Collins and wing Javonte Perkins.
Providence and Miami each had breakthrough seasons in 2021–22, with the Friars reaching the Sweet 16 and the Hurricanes going all the way to the Elite Eight. Can they build on that in ’22–23? Both teams have gotten instant contributions from incoming transfers, with four new Friars averaging more than 10 ppg and highly touted newcomers Norchad Omier and Nijel Pack fitting right in for the Canes.
Championship Prediction: Saint Louis over Providence
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Maui Invitational, Nov. 21–23, Maui
Field: Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Creighton, Louisville, Ohio State, San Diego State, Texas Tech (BRACKET)
If not for Louisville being off to a historically bad start, this would look like one of the deepest Feast Week events ever. Five of eight teams are ranked, and a sixth in Ohio State is receiving votes. Add in high expectations for Year 2 under Wes Miller at Cincinnati, and this tournament has seven NCAA tournament contenders plus one of the great programs in the sport’s history in the Cardinals.
I’m particularly excited to see the two top-10 teams in this field, Creighton and Arkansas. Creighton has Final Four aspirations with a young but talented roster that overachieved a season ago, relying on a monster sophomore class that has so far shown out this season. Meanwhile, Arkansas can’t reach its ceiling without star freshman Nick Smith Jr., who has yet to play this season with a knee injury but is one of the most talented players in college hoops. These two teams could face off in a potential semifinal should each team win its first game on the island.
This tournament will also serve as the first big test for Arizona, which has a new-look roster after getting a No. 1 seed in Tommy Lloyd’s first season. Are the Wildcats among the nation’s elite again?
Championship Prediction: Arizona over Creighton
Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 23–25, Nassau, Bahamas
Field: Butler, BYU, Dayton, Kansas, NC State, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin (BRACKET)
The Lahaina Civic Center in Maui is one of the classic venues in college basketball’s early-season calendar, but the dimly lit ballroom at Atlantis in the Bahamas is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable college hoops Feast Week destinations. We’ve got a strong field again this year, including defending national champion Kansas.
Neutral observers should hope we get a matchup between Dayton and Kansas in the semifinals. These two have had a knack for producing instant classics, including an overtime thriller in the Maui Invitational final in 2019 and a buzzer-beating Dayton win last year at the Orlando Invitational.
Also worth watching at Atlantis is Tennessee, which entered the year on the fringes of the top 10 nationally but took an early loss at home against Colorado. The Vols clearly have the talent to win this event, but have to defend much better than they did against the Buffaloes.
Championship Prediction: Kansas over Tennessee
Ben McKeown/AP
PK85, Nov. 24–27, Portland
Field:
- Invitational: Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, UConn, Villanova (BRACKET)
- Legacy: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia, Xavier (BRACKET)
If I ever amass generational wealth like Phil Knight, I hope to one day have a large basketball tournament for my birthday party. The second Knight event, after PK80 in 2017, features some of the largest Nike-sponsored schools in a two-tournament basketball bash hosted in Portland over Thanksgiving weekend (there is also, for the first time, a women’s bracket).
In the Invitational, No. 1 North Carolina looks to get going after a sluggish start to the new season. The Tar Heels haven’t lost but have been far from overwhelming in three wins against mid-major competition. In fact, the theme of the Invitational might just be teams still figuring it out: Oregon got blown out by UC Irvine in an opening-week embarrassment and Villanova has stumbled out of the gates with a loss to Temple and an ugly performance against Delaware State. And while UConn has passed its early tests, it has dealt with several early-season injuries and might finally put its full roster together in Portland. The one team here that does have a clear identity is Michigan State, with its toughness on full display against Kentucky at the Champions Classic.
The other men’s bracket also has plenty of fun storylines. A potential Duke vs. Gonzaga final would certainly be appealing, even after the Zags’ blowout loss to Texas earlier this week. PK85 also serves as an early showcase for high-profile new coaches Todd Golden (Florida) and Sean Miller (Xavier), whose teams were ranked in the top 30 of Sports Illustrated’s preseason rankings.
Championship Predictions:
