NCAA Basketball: 2019 Las Vegas Invitational preview and predictions

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Kyler Edwards #0 and Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)jordan bo /

This year’s Las Vegas Invitational features several quality NCAA Basketball teams. Who is most likely to win the event?

Last year’s Las Vegas Invitational featured a record three ranked NCAA Basketball teams — North Carolina, Michigan State, Texas and UCLA. It was a doozy, too — the unranked Longhorns upset the Tar Heels despite a bonkers performance from Coby White, only to blow an 18-point lead to the Spartans in the championship game.

This year’s field doesn’t feature quite the star power, but between defending national champions Texas Tech and under-the-radar tournament hopefuls Creighton, Iowa and San Diego State, there’s more than its share of intrigue.

In existence since 2003, the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational has grown into one of the more prestigious early-season tournaments. Among its champions in those 15 years have been Butler, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina. Creighton, in fact, took home the title in 2012 led by Doug McDermott.

This year’s tournament started with a handful of on-campus games between teams in the top half and bottom half of the bracket, which features Cal Poly, LIU, North Florida and Tennessee State. Those games took place mostly over the last weekend.

With the main event starting Thursday afternoon, here’s a look at each of the eight teams set to compete in Sin City:

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