Feast Week Preview - Let the Games Begin

If you are a college basketball fan this is one of the greatest weeks of the year. Yes, of course, you should spend time with your family celebrating Thanksgiving. Enjoy your great meal, catch up with your Aunt Stephanie, and maybe toss the pigskin with your little cousin in the back yard. However, this is a week where you need to clear the calendar, sit yourself down in front of multiple screens, and watch college basketball. That is the beauty of Feast Week.

We are going to preview six different events broken down into three categories. First, are the events for everyone. These are the premier events that even your mom will want to catch a glimpse of this week. Secondly, are the events for the real fans. These are the really solid events that feature NCAA Tournament teams and some compelling storylines, but don’t necessarily factor into the workplace water cooler talk for casual fans. Finally, we have the events for the college basketball sickos. Do you have a KenPom subscription? Does “Simpson” or “Torvik” come to mind first when someone says the name Bart? Have you recently travelled over 350 miles to watch Belmont play Lipscomb? Okay, that last one only applies to me. These events should only be watched alone in a dark room.

For each event we will highlight the schedule and present the odds via Bart Torvik. Additionally, we will discuss the favorites, make predictions, provide an anecdote to make you sound smart, and give a couple of reasons why you should tune into the event. It’s Feast Week! Let’s dive on in to our preview.

For Everyone – The Events You NEED to Watch

These two events will be the most nationally relevant this week. They feature the majority of the AP Top 25 teams, top NBA Draft prospects, and the most compelling storylines. Even your extended family will be able to enjoy these games as you sit in a comfy chair and doze in and out of your turkey coma. Let’s take a closer look at the Maui Invitational and the Players Era Championship.

Maui Invitational

***Coppin State is used as the fill-in for Division II Chaminade. The Basket Under Review guys did it, so I stuck with it.***

Why You Should Watch: If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. Folks, the Maui Invitational is dying. Events like the Players Era Championship, more on that later, are making it hard for tournaments like this to survive. Why pay all of the money to go to Maui when you can get paid to play in Las Vegas? It is a fair question. However, none of us should want to live in a world where the Maui Invitational is rendered obsolete. Why should you watch? You should watch because nostalgia matters. Getting a bunch of eyeballs on this event could help save it. Also, Coach Will Wade has himself a squad at NC State. A potential final against Coach Sean Miller and Texas could be fun.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: Texas starting center Matas Vokietaitis might be the best big man you haven’t heard of yet. He was the AAC Freshman of the Year at Florida Atlantic last season. This year he is averaging 16.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Favorites: It is hard to argue against NC State and Texas as the clear favorites to make it to the finals. The Longhorns have the easier path to the finals as the Wolfpack will have to deal with either USC or Boise State in the semifinals. Coach Sean Miller’s squad retained Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark in the backcourt and then landed Purdue transfer Camden Heide, Xavier transfer Dailyn Swain, and Florida Atlantic transfer Matas Vokietaitis to round out a very talented starting lineup.

Prediction: Boise State knocks off USC and gives NC State a run for their money, but we get the Coach Wade versus Coach Miller battle we all want in the final. All-American candidate Darrion Williams will ultimately be the difference as the Wolfpack leave Maui as the champions.

Players Era Championship

Why You Should Watch: This is undoubtedly the most compelling field of any Feast Week event. St. John’s versus Iowa State and Alabama versus Gonzaga headline Tuesday’s matchups. Then, on Wednesday, we get Houston versus Tennessee and Michigan versus Auburn. With NIL money on the line and the bright lights of Las Vegas the Players Era Championship promises to be a spectacle.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: If you can figure out exactly how Wednesday’s matchups will be decided you might find yourself on national television. There will likely be four or five teams with a 2-0 record by the end of Tuesday evening. Point differential, points scored and points allowed will be used to break the ties. If you have access to a youth baseball dad who is used to working multiple permutations of potential outcomes you might be in luck.

Favorites: It is hard to really pick the favorites because, again, this isn’t a traditional bracket. However, Michigan and, oddly enough, Kansas have the clearest path to going 2-0 on paper. The Jayhawks will be without superstar guard Darryn Peterson, but they will still be favored in both games. Whoever wins between Alabama and Gonzaga on Monday night should be able to finish 2-0 as well. Per Bart Torvik, the most likely “championship” scenarios are Houston versus Michigan and Houston versus Kansas. Regardless of what happens, there will almost assuredly be more compelling games on Monday and Tuesday than we will get in the “championship” on Wednesday. This is an awesome event with a stupid format.

Prediction: Alabama beats Gonzaga and then blows out UNLV to get themselves a spot in the final. Houston demolishes Syracuse and then wins a low-scoring slugfest against Tennessee to take their spot in the final. Oregon also goes 2-0, but narrowly misses out on the championship game due to the tiebreakers. The Crimson Tide pad their resume further by defeating the Cougars in the title matchup.

For Fans – Not Flashy, but Worth Watching

Your extended family probably won’t be begging you to turn on Vanderbilt versus VCU at Noon on Thanksgiving. However, it does make for excellent background fodder.

Battle 4 Atlantis

Why You Should Watch: Similar to the Maui Invitational, the Battle 4 Atlantis has taken a hit due to the Players Era Championship. However, it is still a good, old-fashioned bracket with eight teams that is easy to follow. Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas is worth the price of admission.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: The very first game of this event will feature two teams in Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky that are separated by less than 70 miles. They will each travel 1,000 miles to the Bahamas to play one another. Speaking of the Commodores, they have a top five offense according to KenPom. Coach Mark Byington is leading one of the most fun offensive attacks in the country.

Favorites: As Bart Torvik confirms, the clear favorites on either side of the bracket are Vanderbilt and Saint Mary’s. They each get to play the two weakest teams in the field in the first round and should be on a collision course to Friday’s championship game. You would be hard pressed to find two teams with more different styles. Coach Randy Bennett’s team is once again Top 20 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency and 347th in pace. As mentioned early, Vanderbilt has a Top 5 offense and plays at a very fast pace. The Gaels could emerge with a chance to stay undefeated for a long time if they leave the Bahamas victorious.

Prediction: Vanderbilt might have one of the best offenses in college basketball, but Saint Mary’s can actually keep up with them from beyond the arc. The Gaels won’t shoot the three with the same frequency, but they are making them at a 45.7% clip. Sophomore point guard Mikey Lewis is emerging as one of the best playmakers in the country and will help lead Saint Mary’s to a Battle 4 Atlantis championship.

ESPN Events Invitational (Magic Bracket)

Why You Should Watch: AJ Dybantsa. It really is that simple. He is a special talent that has, so far, lived up to even the highest expectations. Dybantsa is averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for a 4-1 BYU team coming off of a 98-70 beatdown against Wisconsin. If you want to see an All-American and future top three pick in the NBA Draft you will want to tune in to BYU versus Miami (FL) on Thanksgiving Day.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: Coach Ed Cooley has Georgetown off to their first 5-0 start since the Hoyas opened up 8-0 in 2017-2018. He has started 5-0 three other times in his career. In each of those seasons, all at Providence, his team made the NCAA Tournament. Leading Georgetown to the NCAA Tournament in year three of a major rebuild would be an incredible accomplishment.

Favorite: It has to be BYU. The Cougars are the only ranked team in the field and currently sit at #8 in the KenPom ratings. Not only is AJ Dybantsa one of the best players in the country, but Richie Saunders and Rob Wright are excellent pieces around him as well. It would be a surprise to see anyone besides BYU win this Feast Week event.

Prediction: It will be trendy to talk about how impressive Georgetown has looked. Dayton recently defeated Marquette on the road in overtime. Miami (FL) certainly seems to be improved under first year head coach Jai Lucas. However, picking anyone besides the BYU Cougars would just be reckless. They are the best team in the field.

For Sickos – Feast Week is Life

Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate family and fellowship. We gather together to eat great food, visit, and relax. Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving is a football holiday. That is no longer the case. Feast Week has gained more and more traction over the years and now college basketball fans have their own treat to watch over the course of the holiday. However, it is a lot harder to convince grandma that you NEED to watch Saint Louis versus Santa Clara than it is Arkansas versus Duke. If you are a true college basketball sicko though your family probably already knows you will be finding a television as soon as your plate is clean.

Why You Should Watch: Remember Robbie Avila? The goggle-wearing big man who stole America’s collective hart as Indiana State made a push for the 2024 NCAA Tournament is now a senior at Saint Louis. Avila followed Coach Josh Schertz prior to last season and immediately was an All-A10 performer. The 6’10” 240 pound forward is shooting an incredible 14-24 from three-point range for the 5-0 Billikens and is once again a key piece of a very good team.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: The Acrisure Invitational is one of several events taking place under the Acrisure Series umbrella. In total, there will be 20 teams playing 18 games over the course of four days. However, our Feast Week preview is focusing on Saint Louis versus Santa Clara and Minnesota versus Stanford.

Favorites: This field is wide open. Saint Louis and Santa Clara are two of the best mid-majors in the country. Both are flirting with the KenPom Top 50 as this event begins. Coach Herb Sendek’s team has already beaten McNeese, Xavier, and Nevada this season. Unfortuantely, the two best teams in this field play in the semifinals. That means either Stanford or Minnesota will have a shot at the title. Stanford appears to have found a diamond in the rough in freshman guard Ebuka Okorie.

Prediction: Ebuka Okorie carries Stanford over Minnesota and then gives Saint Louis all they can handle in the title game, but the Billikens prevail. Three-point shooting ultimately is the difference that lifts Saint Louis past Santa Clara.

ESPN Events Invitational (Imagination Bracket)

Why You Should Watch: Illinois State features two of the most exciting mid-major players in the country. 6’9″ 280 pound big man Chase Walker is a load inside whiel junior guard Johnny Kinziger can light it up from deep. Neither has played up to their potential yet this season, but they are due for a breakout.

Anecdote to Make You Sound Smart: Richmond head coach Chris Mooney is in his 21st season as the Spiders’ head coach. He is 363-290 during that time with three NCAA Tournament appearances including reaching the 2011 Sweet 16.

Favorites: Illinois State probably has the most talent, but Richmond enters the event 5-0 and ranked the highest in KenPom at #101. The two should meet in Friday’s title game, but weird things happen during Feast Week.

Prediction: The Redbids have been a bit disappointing to start the season. However, they are coming off of a 52-point win to gain a little momentum heading into Feast Week. Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger got a lot of attention heading into this year, but junior forward Ty Pence has been outstanding so far. They just have too much talent to not get it going and come away victorious down in Kissimmee, Florida.