Feast week is one of the best weeks when it comes to college basketball, and ESPN is once again providing five days of outstanding hoops at the State Farm Field House in Orlando. The ESPN Events Invitational will feature 16 teams competing in 20 games throughout Thanksgiving Week.
The Invitational has divided the teams into three brackets: The Adventure Bracket, the Imagination Bracket, and the Magic Bracket. Let's take a look at all three brackets, the teams in each, and all of the information you'll want to know to enjoy this tournament.
Adventure Bracket Preview
Schedule:
November 24 - First Round Matchups (all times ET):
11:00 AM: Rhode Island (4-1) vs. Towson (3-2)
1:30 PM: Liberty (4-0) vs. Vermont (4-1)
4:30 PM: Temple (3-1) vs. UC San Diego (4-0)
7:00 PM: Princeton (3-3) vs. Bradley (2-3)
November 25 - Semifinal and consolation games
November 26 - Placing games (Championship, 3rd place, 5th place, 7th place)
Where to watch: All games on ESPNU and ESPN2
If you are looking for some mid-major fun, this bracket is precisely for you. Eight teams across eight different conferences play 12 games in three days. Nearly all of these teams are sporting one loss or less, so the winner of this bracket is going to come out of Orlando with a ton of momentum.
Rhode Island vs. Towson leads the tournament off, a battle between two of the top defenses in all of college basketball. The Tigers are actually in the top 15 in Division I on defense allowing only 60.8 ppg. The Rams are not far behind them with only 67.8 ppg allowed. The actual test for both of these offenses is going up against the solid defenses each team brings.
The next contest is the exact opposite. Liberty vs. Vermont is a battle of two of the top offenses in college basketball, putting up 89.0 and 88.0 points per game, respectively. The Flames are also the third-best team in college basketball at shooting 54.7% from the field. This contest could end up in the high 150s when it is all said and done, but we'll see which offense prevails.
Temple vs. UC San Diego will be a battle of a talented backcourt vs. a talented frontcourt. The backcourt duo of Derrian Ford and Aiden Tobiason for the Owls has been one of the top backcourts in the American Conference, scoring 18.5 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. The Tritons are led by their talented junior forward, Leo Beath, averaging 17.5 points per game while hauling in 5.5 rebounds per game. The scoring talent will be on full display in this contest.
The final first-round contest between Princeton and Bradley is a showcase of two teams looking to bounce back from a tough start to the season. The Tigers are sitting at 3-3 but have had a couple of tough losses to Akron (104-69) and Iona (89-69). Meanwhile, the Braves are 2-3 after a couple of tough losses to UT-Martin (78-67) and San Francisco (75-64). One team is hungry for a win to build momentum for the remainder of the season.
This first bracket is going to be exciting, as each of these teams has distinct strengths that could win it. Fans should look forward to the great start to the week in the Adventure Bracket.
Imagination Bracket Preview
Schedule:
November 27 - First round matchups (all times ET):
11:00 AM: Richmond vs. Furman
1:30 PM: Charlotte vs. Illinois State
November 28 - Consolation and championship game:
12:30 PM: Consolation Game
3:00 PM: Championship Game
Where to watch: All games (besides consolation on ESPN+) streaming on ESPN2
The earlier of the two bracket tournaments for Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving is the Imagination Bracket. With the A10, SoCon, American, and Missouri Valley Conferences all being represented, four different styles of teams from four different conferences will face off.
The first matchup of the bracket between Richmond and Furman is a battle between a great offense and a disciplined, talented rebounding team. The Spiders are one of the top offenses in the country, scoring 88.0 points per game and outscoring their opponents by an average of 17 points. On the flip side, the Paladins are one of the best teams in Division I in terms of fouls committed per game, averaging only 15. They are also a great rebounding team with 36.7 per game. This will be a good matchup, as the strengths of these teams could expose their opponents' weaknesses.
The other Imagination Bracket matchup between Charlotte and Illinois State will showcase two teams with very similar traits. Both of these teams are excellent on the glass, as Charlotte averages 38.5 rebounds per game, while Illinois State averages 37.8 rebounds per game. The 49ers are one of the top teams in Division I from behind the arc, shooting 38.4%. The Redbirds are one of the top perimeter defenses in Division I, allowing their opponents to shoot only 29.4% from behind the arc. These are two evenly matched teams looking to expose a weakness we haven't seen.
This bracket pits four teams with different play styles but very similar strengths and weaknesses. This is genuinely a bracket where any of these four teams can win, and the hungriest team will take home the win.
Magic Bracket Preview
Schedule:
November 27 - First round matchups (all times ET):
5:00 PM: BYU vs. Miami (FL)
7:30 PM: Georgetown vs. Dayton
November 28 - Consolation and championship game:
7:00 PM: Consolation Game or Championship Game
9:30 PM: Consolation Game or Championship Game
Where to watch: All games (besides 7:30 game on ESPN2) streaming on ESPN
The final bracket is the one that will get the most attention, as we will have several big names on full display in the two games for the Magic division.
BYU vs. Miami (FL) will showcase one of the biggest names in college basketball today in BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa. The #1 recruit in the Class of 2025, and a likely top 5 pick, has impressed thus far this season, averaging 20.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. However, the Hurricanes have a talented forward who will look to overshadow Dybantsa in this contest: Malik Reneau. The senior is having a great season, averaging 21.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game. This is going to be a fun contest for college basketball fans.
While that contest will feature two very talented forwards, the other matchup between Georgetown and Dayton will pit two talented guards against each other. The Hoyas have been fortunate to have a great season out of their transfer guard, KJ Lewis. The former Arizona Wildcat has had a solid start to the season, averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, the Flyers are fortunate to have had a big bounce-back season from guard Javon Bennett. The senior has had a great start to the season, averaging 18.4 points per game and 3.8 assists per game. These two guards will be trying to show out under the bright lights.
This bracket, like the other two, will be an incredible slate of games for college basketball fans to enjoy over the holiday week. Expect some big-time plays and potential upsets at the Wide World of Sports complex for Feast Week.