Excluding March, these next two weeks may be the best time to watch college basketball. With “Feast Week” around the corner, many teams prepare for their tough multi-team events (MTEs) to prove which team is the best. The biggest of these tournaments, The Players Era, was first introduced in 2024 with just eight teams, and has now expanded to 18. The Players Era is the only event in the next two weeks with more than 50% of its participants in the top 50 in the country, making it the most anticipated event of the week. Tip-off for this event begins on Nov. 24 in Las Vegas, with games the following day and then ending with the championship game on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
As for tonight, UConn hosts No. 4 Arizona in a top 5 matchup. The Huskies are coming off a big win against No. 6 BYU and are looking to continue their streak as they take on top ranked opponents. The Huskies had three players score 21 in Saturday’s matchup (Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr, Silas Demary Jr) and look to continue their offensive dominance over teams. Arizona has similarly dominated the offensive side taking down No. 3 Florida 93-87 to start the season, before defeating No. 15 UCLA on the road 69-65. This will be a big test for both sides with UConn fans hoping the atmosphere in Gampel Pavilion will help solidify the win.
Additionally, No. 11 Alabama will travel to No. 8 Illinois in another matchup between powerhouses. The Tide are coming off their first loss of the season falling to No. 2 Purdue. Their offense remains a problem for opponents as they continue to score the ball well with their fast-paced gameplay. As for the Illini, they look to continue their undefeated campaign preparing for these offensive heavy teams such as Alabama, UConn and Tennessee.
The Baha Mar Championship starts on Thursday, Nov. 20, with four teams competing as No. 1 Purdue takes on Memphis and No. 15 Texas Tech battles Wake Forest. The winners of both games will play the next day for the championship.
Friday, Nov. 21 features No. 9 BYU hosting No. 23 Wisconsin. Although BYU fell short in their comeback to UConn on Saturday, freshman phenom AJ Dybansta showed his talent scoring a game high 25 points for the Cougars. They will look for more of the same this season from their projected No. 1 NBA draft pick.
Additionally, No. 6 Louisville will take on undefeated Cincinnati in a battle of two unbeatens. The Cardinals have shown nothing but pure domination this season, scoring 412 points in their opening four games. On the other side, Cincinnati has held all teams below 64 points so far this season, displaying their sturdy defense. This will be the Bearcats first test of the season as they take on an ACC powerhouse.
The weekend will consist of the Charleston Classic, Hall of Fame Classic and Paradise Jam, to add in a few more MTEs. These will have teams such as Clemson, Georgia, Xavier, Boston College, New Mexico, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Charleston, Yale, Oregon State and UMass to name a few. All teams are looking to put some wins on the board early in the season before taking on their tough conference schedules.
Early next week will similarly display matchups from The Players Era, with No. 11 Alabama taking on No. 13 Gonzaga on November 24th. This matchup will pit the fastest college basketball team against the oldest basketball team (Gonzaga’s starting lineup is all 21 or older, with four of their nine-man rotation 23 years or older). The matchup will highlight pure speed and agility with seasoned expertise.
As Feast Week approaches, college basketball fans are left with a perfect Thanksgiving weekend full of high scoring contests and lots of drama. From fast-paced offenses to tactical defenses, it is no surprise these early weeks of the season are highly anticipated. As rivalries heat up and top ranked programs face off, Feast Week should set the stage for what is sizing up to be a captivating season of hoops.