Bracketology 2024: Purdue, Villanova, and BYU among Feast Week winners

There are around 30 games each season for teams to enhance their respective Bracketology resumes. For some, the best chance they’ll get is in November during “Feast Week”, where there are a bunch of multi-team events featuring top-25 caliber teams.

This past week alone, we had marque events such as the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, and others. There were a bunch of teams that took advantage of potential opportunities to get key victories that should pay off come Selection Sunday. For an overall recap of the past week, here’s a look at the biggest overall Bracketology winners.

Honorable Mention: Marquette Golden Eagles

The Eagles went 2-1 in the Maui Invitational, beating UCLA and Kansas while losing to Purdue. The big win was over Kansas, who was the No. 1 team in the country. It’s going to be one of the biggest wins a team gets all year, making the trip successful, even without winning the event.

HM: Gonzaga Bulldogs

Although a loss to Purdue put them in the consolation part of the bracket, Gonzaga was able to get a pair of good wins over Syracuse and UCLA, who should at least be Quad 2 range. More importantly, they avoided a game against Chaminade, who would’ve done nothing to help them.

HM: BYU Cougars

BYU is not only a darling of KenPom (top-10 ranking) but they’re building a nice resume. After beating San Diego State in the first week of the season, the Cougars then beat Arizona State and NC State, with the ladder potentially being in the Quad 1 range. For a team picked to finish second-to-last in the Big 12, this team has been a big overachiever.

HM: Memphis Tigers

Yes, the blowout loss to UNC in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game was a disaster. But the Tigers did manage to beat both Arkansas and Michigan, with the victory over the Razorbacks likely to be in the Quad 1 range. Being in the AAC, Memphis needed to accomplish something to feel good about its chances in March.