Previewing the Thanksgiving college basketball tournaments

Thanksgiving has a reputation for being a football-filled holiday. Those days are long gone. College hoops has staked a claim on not just Turkey Day, but the entire weekend. The next few days are jam-packed with top-level teams squaring off in a variety of tournaments and events. If the NFL and college football games aren’t for you, the action on the hardwood this weekend will be nearly non-stop. From early afternoon until late into the wee hours of the night, mid-majors and top ranked teams will be padding their tournament resumes and fighting for bragging rights. It’s the perfect time to get to know the college basketball landscaping, learning about the best teams and Player of the Year candidates.

Three tournaments stand out based on their stellar lineups. Here’s a breakdown of what to watch for in these key early season events.

PK80

Nike outdid itself in planning an event to celebrate the 80th birthday of company founder Phil Knight. The list of possible match-ups reads like a hoop junkie’s fever dream. Oklahoma-Arkansas, Butler-Texas, and Gonzaga-Ohio State are all scheduled for Thanksgiving Day. Over the rest of the weekend, we could be treated to gems like Michigan State-Oregon, Duke-Butler, Gonzaga-Florida, and North Carolina-Arkansas, to name a few. Many of those teams feature players worth checking out early in the season. Oklahoma freshman Trae Young is averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and an absurd 11.5 assists per game, with the Sooners topping 100 points in both of their games thus far. Jaylen Barford from Arkansas is posting 20 points per night, and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard is shooting the lights out at over 57 percent from outside the arc.

The real potential headline match-ups would occur on Sunday, Nov. 26. The best case scenario in one half of the championship-free tournament is a date with Gonzaga and Duke. The Zags lost a lot of production from the team that went to last year’s national championship, yet still have the pieces to be a factor this season. Nothing would prove a tougher early season test than top ranked Duke. The Blue Devils impressed with a big win and a dominating performance from Grayson Allen against Michigan State at the Champions Classic. Freshman phenom Marvin Bagley missed most of that game with an eye injury and could really flash at an event like the PK80.

The other side of the brackets could lead to a high-octane North Carolina versus Michigan State game. The talent on those two squads would cram the building with NBA scouts, in part to see National Player of the Year frontrunner Miles Bridges. North Carolina plays one of the fastest paced games in the nation, with Michigan State looking to have its bruising frontcourt slow down the Heels and score in the halfcourt.

The Battle 4 Atlantis

Despite being played in what is essentially a hotel ballroom, the annual tournament in the Bahamas has become one of college basketball’s most intriguing early-season events every year. This year is no exception as the Battle 4 Atlantis – excuse me, the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis – should feature some really nice tests for a few of America’s best teams.

The top half of the bracket could lead to a Villanova-Purdue semifinal on Thanksgiving, which would be a rematch of an excellent game from early last year. Since that game, however, each program has lost the services of a first team All-American (namely Josh Hart at Villanova and Caleb Swanigan at Purdue). Both teams will still contend for their respective conference championships this season. Villanova is led by the excellent point guard play of Jalen Brunson, though highly-touted recruit Omari Spellman gives them a big man, and a new face, to keep an eye on. Purdue collected a silver medal at the World University Games this summer playing as Team USA. That experience could prove valuable for exciting sophomore point guard Carsen Edwards.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Arizona should face SMU if both can take care of business in the early rounds. Arizona’s Allonzo Trier might be the most complete swingman in the country, with the ability to shoot, slash, and defend multiple positions. He’s joined this season by top level recruit DeAndre Ayton. The rim-rocking big man is looked at as a legitimate game-changer in the paint. The Wildcats will likely be tested by a feisty SMU team in the semifinals. Junior guard Shake Milton can fill it up, dropping at least 16 points in all four of the Mustangs’ games to date. As a career 43 percent outside shooter, Milton can get hot in a hurry. He made six longballs in multiple games last season.

A Villanova-Arizona title game on Friday would make for the best possible match-up, but any match-up of these four teams should make for an exciting watch with a leftover turkey sandwich nearby.

NIT Tip-Off

Madison Square Garden never has a shortage of exciting games, including some interesting match-ups this week. Thursday features Seton Hall battling Rhode Island and Virginia tussling with Vanderbilt. All four teams are worth checking out this early in the season, but should they both advance, a game between Seton Hall and Virginia could really show where each of those teams stands early in the year.

Many believe the Pirates have a chance to challenge Villanova’s dominance in the Big East this season, on the shoulders of double-double machine Angel Delgado. He’s already posted three double-doubles this season in four games. Delgado commands space in the paint and clears the glass on both ends of the floor. The senior big man is flanked by fellow four-year players Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez, making for a balanced attack.

Virginia trots out a trio of deadly shooters, with Devon Hall, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy all able to stroke from well beyond the arc. Guy in particular has been exceptional for coach Tony Bennett. In two years as a Cavalier, Guy has taken 121 threes and made 60 of them. His green light flashes as bright as any scorer in America and he’s capable of heating up without a moment’s notice.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.