USA TODAY International Edition
Tournaments provide enticing trimmings
Feast Week is finally here. If you love Thanksgiving, you’re probably imagining a delicious spread across your table Thursday afternoon and all the fun you’ll have with friends and family.
If you’re a basketball junkie, you likely have put together a very organized spreadsheet to help you keep track of all the college hoops games being played at holiday tournaments this week. Here’s what I’m excited to watch.
PK80
A tournament to celebrate the 80th birthday of Phil Knight of Nike was sure to have a lot of star-studded power (even if Kentucky pulled out of the original lineup). Two brackets and 16 teams mean there will be plenty of hoops. Games tip off Thursday in Portland, Ore., and will be played Friday and Sunday; teams take Saturday off for football, plus that’s when the women’s division of the PK80 takes place in Eugene. Potential matchups I can’t wait for:
Duke vs. Texas: Duke looked every bit of the No. 1 team in the country last week behind Grayson Allen, but it’s still the sensational freshmen who get the hype. So get ready for Duke’s Marvin Bagley III and Texas’ Mohamed Bamba, the No. 1 and No. 3 players in the 2017 class, according to the 247sports.com composite player rankings. We didn’t get to see Bagley much in Duke’s other high-profile matchup against Michigan State after he got poked in the eye, which makes this matchup that much more intriguing.
Duke vs. Gonzaga: This would be an upset matchup in the championship game of the Motion Bracket, because a lot of people are going to pick Florida to beat Gonzaga in the semifinals. But I’m going to give the Zags the nod here, because playing in Portland is basically like playing in Spokane for the Bulldogs. They’ll bring a ton of fans to the Moda Center and make it a home court feel. Gonzaga lost a lot from last season’s Final Four team but still has 6-9 forward Johnathan Williams. This would be a rematch of the 2015 NCAA South Region championship game, which Duke won 66-52.
North Carolina vs. Michigan State: This is the likely championship game of the Victory Bracket, and I am here for it. The biggest takeaway from Michigan State and all those sensational sophomores after the Champions Classic was that this group is still learning how to win big games on a big stage. Well, a matchup with the defending national champs definitely gives them another opportunity to prove themselves.
Battle 4 Atlantis
Villanova vs. Purdue in the semifinals? Yes, please. But what I’m mostly excited for is a potential championship matchup with Arizona vs. either of those teams. Arizona came in with more talent than ever in Sean Miller’s tenure, and the Wildcats were favored to take Miller to his first-ever Final Four. Then the FBI scandal broke, which is the king of distractions. The Wildcats are missing sophomore guard Rawle Alkins, who is sidelined with a broken foot until probably the start of conference play. But sophomore Allonzo Trier is back and has averaged 30 points per game in Arizona’s first three wins.
Maui Invitational
Long considered the Thanksgiving tournament to play in, Maui should give us another year of great matchups. The title game, played Wednesday, probably will feature Wichita State vs. Notre Dame (this is assuming Notre Dame gets past Michigan in the semifinals, which should also be a fun matchup). WSU has been upgraded from upstart Cinderella to perennial Final Four contender. Senior center Bonzie Colson (20 ppg, 11 rpg) will be the star of this show.