NCAA Basketball: 2021 ESPN Events Invitational preview and predictions

The ESPN Events Invitational is now in its 15th edition under its 5th name, the NCAA Basketball tournament was previously referred to as the Orlando Invitational, Orlando Classic, Old Spice Classic, and the Advocare Invitational. No matter what the tournament is called, it has become one of the strongest multi-team events in November and the 2021 field is a testament to that.

Over the previous 14 years, winners of this tournament have included some of the teams that people are used to seeing make deep runs in March.  Gonzaga has won this tournament three times, the last being in 2016, and Villanova, Kansas, Memphis, and Florida State have each won it once. But, despite those teams being some of the best programs in the country, winning the tournament hasn’t translated to much March success. Only three times in the previous 14 years, Gonzaga twice, has the winner advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

This year’s eight-team field is an interesting mix of teams that have Final Four aspirations and others who could play spoiler and Cinderella in the Big Dance. Kansas and Alabama head the field and Belmont, Drake and Iona are three teams that were picked to win their respective conferences, while Miami, North Texas, and Dayton round out the field.

If college basketball is more your cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving Day, here is a look at the teams who will be stuffing the stat sheet and feasting on pick-and-rolls (brown and serve obviously) while you make room for dessert and peruse the Black Friday flyers.