Feast Week went on a generational run this year with a plethora of upsets around the multi-team events (MTEs) with loaded fields. The early-season tournaments can serve as a preview of what is to come for the best teams in the country this season. While this article will not cover the Maui Invitational, it is worth noting that Auburn proved that they are one of the best teams in the country, with Johni Broome leading the way to the championship.
This edition of Sam’s Section will recap each of the major MTEs during Feast Week.
Tennessee beats Virginia, Baylor to win Baha Mar title
The first major MTE of Feast Week was the Baha Mar Hoops tournament which took place in Nassau, Bahamas at the Baha Mar Convention Center. The four-team field was loaded, including Tennessee, Baylor, Virginia and St. John’s. Tennessee handled Virginia in the semifinal round, while Baylor won in a double overtime thriller over St. John’s. Former North Florida guard Chaz Lanier went on a tear, especially in the championship game. The Nashville, Tenn. native averaged 25.5 points in the two games and drilled 13 shots from downtown. Lanier has emerged as one of the best transfer additions in college basketball.
Michigan knocks off Virginia, stomps Xavier to win Fort Myers Tip-Off
It is time to rank Michigan. The Wolverines exceeded expectations during coach Dusty May’s first season in Ann Arbor after a successful tenure at Florida Atlantic. Along with South Carolina, the Fort Myers Tip-Off was an underrated tournament during Feast Week. Former Yale center Danny Wolf impressed in the title game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He played like Nikola Jokic, knocking down four 3-pointers which served for half of his made field goals. What imakes Michigan special this year is that it could be someone’s night for a handful of their key players. That was the case in the semifinal win over Virginia Tech, as former Ohio State Buckeye Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 20 points and handed out four assists on 6-13 shooting.
Purdue wins Rady Children’s Invitational title over NC State, Ole Miss
A star is born in West Lafayette, Ind. with Trey Kaufman-Renn earning MVP honors in the Rady Children’s Invitational. The tournament, located in San Diego, included Purdue, Ole Miss, BYU and NC State. Kaufman-Renn scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half of the Boilermakers’ semifinal win over NC State, a rematch of the Final Four game a season ago. The title game was a thriller, as Myles Colvin had the game-winning basket, rebounding Braden Smith’s missed fadeaway jumper and scoring with 0.5 seconds remaining. Kaufman-Renn may not have been the hero in the final seconds, but he was Purdue’s best player with 25 points and 13 rebounds. The Boilermakers blew a 17-point first-half lead but rallied to end Ole Miss’ 19-game nonconference winning streak.
Florida cruises past Wake Forest and Wichita State to ESPN Events title
The ESPN Events Invitational is located just outside Orlando, but the semi-home advantage was not the only reason Florida dominated their way to winning the tournament’s championship. Two of the most underrated guards in the nation faced off in the semifinal round as Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., who had 21 points, led the Gators past Hunter Sallis-led Wake Forest. Clayton was named MVP of the MTE. In addition to his 21-point outing against the Demon Deacons, the former Iona Gael had 17 points and nine rebounds in the dominant win over Wichita State.
Butler beats Northwestern, upsets Mississippi State to win Cactus Division of Arizona Tip-Off
Butler became the unlikely winner of the Cactus Division of the Arizona Tip-Off. The Bulldogs were led by forward Jahmyl Telfort, who not only won MVP honors in Tempe, Ariz. but also was named the Big East Player of the Week. Even though they blew a 15-point lead, Butler held on to their lead and took down Northwestern in the semifinal round. Telfort scored 23 points, but the real MVP of the game was Andre Screen, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Telfort added to his prolific scoring in the Grand Canyon State, scoring 24 points as the Bulldogs upset then-No. 25 Mississippi State by 10.
Oklahoma takes down Providence, Arizona, Louisville on way to Battle 4 Atlantis title
Like the Maui Invitational, the Battle 4 Atlantis did not play out like people expected it to. Gonzaga and Indiana lost in the first round and Louisville cruised their way to the championship game after defeating Indiana and West Virginia. However, Jalon Moore turned his game up a notch in Paradise Island, Bahamas. In his second year with the program, the Birmingham, Ala. native played a leading role in wins over Arizona and Louisville, scoring 24 points in each game. Disaster nearly struck the Sooners in the first round, as they were assessed a technical foul for having too many players on the court when a player entered the court as play was going on and did not go to the scorer’s table beforehand.
Oregon wins inaugural Players Era Festival over Texas A&M, San Diego State, Alabama
Former Villanova guard TJ Bamba returned to the Pacific Northwest after three seasons at Washington State and has not disappointed in an Oregon uniform. While he was not the leader in the Ducks’ championship game against Alabama, they could not have gotten there without Bamba’s performances in the first two games, scoring 18 and 22 points, respectively. The title game in Las Vegas was a nail-biter, with Nate Bittle’s putback with 4.4 seconds remaining putting Oregon over the Crimson Tide. In addition to Oregon’s three opponents, the field was loaded in the tournament’s inaugural year. The field also included Creighton, Houston, Rutgers and Notre Dame.