November Insanity: Rating the highest eight in-season faculty basketball tournaments this month

Opening night time of the 2024-25 faculty basketball season noticed solely a single ranked-on-ranked matchup. No. 6 Gonzaga routed No. 8 Baylor 101-63 on Monday night time at Spokane Area within the first of many marquee matchups earlier than convention play begins for many groups on the flip of the calendar 12 months.

In recent times, the theme of the season’s opening week has been outlined by the shortage of marquee matchups. That may change this weekend when occasions such because the Veterans Traditional on CBS Sports activities Community get going earlier than the motion actually heats up throughout the week of Thanksgiving when premier multi-team occasion tournaments start. Amongst them are the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, and the brand new Gamers Period Pageant in Las Vegas.

Whereas a lot of the sports activities world stays locked in on the faculty soccer season forward of the inaugural 12-team School Soccer Playoff, this portion of the schedule may also help applications shine within the highlight. Along with the variety of marquee matchups in a short while interval, groups on the bubble might decide up a handful of key wins that can enhance their résumé  and assist make their case come NCAA Match time in March.

Prime early-season faculty basketball video games: UNC vs. Kansas amongst can’t-miss matchups in November and December

Kyle Boone

Here’s a rating of the perfect in-season tournaments in faculty basketball this month.

1. Maui Invitational

• Date: Nov. 25-27
• Location: Lahaina, Hawaii
• Matchups: Memphis vs. No. 3 UConn, Colorado vs. Michigan State, No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa State, Dayton vs. No. 9 North Carolina [Full bracket]
• Breakdown: The Maui Invitational remains to be the premier MTE and the nostalgia of the occasion heading again to Lahaina after final 12 months’s devastating fires and the bracket together with 4 top-15 groups makes this must-watch basketball. The most effective opening recreation of the match shall be Auburn’s matchup with Iowa State. If North Carolina and UConn run the desk, they might meet within the championship. Memphis ought to present a invaluable take a look at for the two-time reigning nationwide champions.

2. Gamers Period Pageant

3. Vegas Showdown

• Date: Nov. 26
• Location: Las Vegas
• Matchups: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 7 Duke, Seattle vs. Furman
• Breakdown: This MTE is ranked excessive due to the draw of Duke’s matchup with No. 1 Kansas. That recreation is amongst Kyle Boone’s must-watch video games of the 2024-25 season, and for good cause. Duke’s roster options Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 ranked participant within the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, alongside returning stars Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, whereas Kansas returns All-American heart Hunter Dickinson. The winner of this recreation will add a marquee Quad 1 victory to their respective résumé.

4. Battle 4 Atlantis

• Date: Nov. 27-29
• Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas
• Matchups: Louisville vs. No. 17 Indiana, West Virginia vs. No. 6 Gonzaga, Oklahoma vs. Windfall, Davidson vs. No. 10 Arizona [Full bracket]
• Breakdown: The Battle 4 Atlantis options three ranked groups: Indiana, Gonzaga and Arizona. Indiana opens the match in opposition to a new-look Louisville squad, whereas Gonzaga faces West Virginia on the identical aspect of the bracket. If Arizona runs the desk in opposition to Davidson and the winner of Oklahoma/Windfall, Tommy Lloyd’s staff might face Gonzaga or Indiana within the championship recreation.

5. Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship

• Date: Nov. 21-22
• Location: Nassau, Bahamas
• Matchups: No. 8 Baylor vs. St. John’s,No. 12 Tennessee vs. Virginia [Full bracket]
• Breakdown: Baylor opens the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship in opposition to Rick Pitino and St. John’s. On the opposite aspect of the bracket, No. 12 Tennessee will face Virginia – a program that noticed its longtime coach, Tony Bennett, step down simply days earlier than the beginning of the season. Baylor going through Tennessee within the championship recreation could be probably the greatest nonconference video games of the whole season.

6. Legends Traditional

• Date: Nov. 21-22
• Location: Brooklyn, New York
• Matchups: Syracuse vs. No. 19 Texas, Texas Tech vs. Saint Joseph’s [Full bracket]
• Breakdown: Syracuse’s matchup with Texas will characteristic probably the greatest first-year gamers within the sport. Texas star ahead Tre Johnson broke Kevin Durant’s program document for many factors in a freshman debut with a 29-point exhibiting in a season-opening loss to Ohio State. Syracuse ahead Donnie Freeman recorded a double-double (10 factors, 11 rebounds) and added an help in his first recreation. Texas Tech’s recreation in opposition to Saint Joseph’s is an intriguing matchup on the opposite aspect of the bracket.

7. Rady Youngsters’s Invitational 

• Date: Nov. 28-29
• Location: San Diego
• Matchups: No. 14 Purdue vs. NC State, BYU vs. No. 24 Ole Miss
• Breakdown: Purdue will face NC State in a rematch of this previous spring’s Closing 4 – a recreation the Boilermakers received to finish NC State’s magical run to the ultimate weekend of the faculty basketball season. BYU will face Ole Miss on the opposite aspect of the bracket. The participant to look at in his match is BYU freshman Egor Demin, who may very well be a lottery decide within the 2025 NBA Draft.

8. Fort Myers Tip-Off

• Date: Nov. 25-27
• Location: Fort Myers, Florida
• Matchups: Miami (OH) vs. Siena, Jacksonville vs. Mercer, Michigan vs. Virginia Tech, South Carolina vs. Xavier [Full schedule]
• Breakdown: Michigan ought to be the favourite to win this occasion. The Wolverines open in opposition to Virginia Tech and can face the winner of South Carolina/Xavier within the Riviera Division title recreation. The participant to look at is South Carolina ahead Collin Murray-Boyles. The sophomore ahead bypassed the 2024 NBA Draft and is already receiving lottery buzz to develop into a high decide this summer season.