Opening night of the 2024-25 college basketball season saw only a single ranked-on-ranked matchup. No. 6 Gonzaga routed No. 8 Baylor 101-63 on Monday night at Spokane Arena in the first of many marquee matchups before conference play begins for most teams at the turn of the calendar year.
In recent years, the theme of the season's opening week has been defined by the lack of marquee matchups. That will change this weekend when events such as the Veterans Classic on CBS Sports Network get going before the action really heats up during the week of Thanksgiving when premier multi-team event tournaments begin. Among them are the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, and the new Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
While much of the sports world remains locked in on the college football season ahead of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, this portion of the schedule can help programs shine in the spotlight. In addition to the number of marquee matchups in a short time period, teams on the bubble could pick up a handful of key wins that will boost their résumé and help make their case come NCAA Tournament time in March.
Top early-season college basketball games: UNC vs. Kansas among can't-miss matchups in November and December
Kyle Boone
Here is a ranking of the best in-season tournaments in college basketball this month.
1. Maui Invitational
- Date: Nov. 25-27
- Location: Lahaina, Hawaii
- Matchups: Memphis vs. No. 3 UConn, Colorado vs. Michigan State, No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa State, Dayton vs. No. 9 North Carolina [Full bracket]
- Breakdown: The Maui Invitational is still the premier MTE and the nostalgia of the event heading back to Lahaina after last year's devastating fires and the bracket including four top-15 teams makes this must-watch basketball. The best opening game of the tournament will be Auburn's matchup with Iowa State. If North Carolina and UConn run the table, they could meet in the championship. Memphis should provide a valuable test for the two-time reigning national champions.
2. Players Era Festival
- Date: Nov. 26-27, 30
- Location: Las Vegas
- Matchups: San Diego State vs. No. 15 Creighton, No. 13 Texas A&M vs. Oregon, No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 4 Houston, Notre Dame vs. No. 25 Rutgers [Full bracket]
- Breakdown: The Players Era Festival, as our own Matt Norlander wrote, is a one-of-a-kind revolutionary regular-season men's basketball event. The event will be played as two four-team pools during the week of Thanksgiving. The event will feature five ranked teams and some of the best players in the country. Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, Alabama's Mark Sears, and Rutgers' duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper will make this event must-watch TV.
3. Vegas Showdown
- Date: Nov. 26
- Location: Las Vegas
- Matchups: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 7 Duke, Seattle vs. Furman
- Breakdown: This MTE is ranked high because of the draw of Duke's matchup with No. 1 Kansas. That game is among Kyle Boone's must-watch games of the 2024-25 season, and for good reason. Duke's roster features Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, alongside returning stars Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, while Kansas returns All-American center Hunter Dickinson. The winner of this game will add a marquee Quad 1 victory to their respective résumé.
4. Battle 4 Atlantis
- Date: Nov. 27-29
- Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas
- Matchups: Louisville vs. No. 17 Indiana, West Virginia vs. No. 6 Gonzaga, Oklahoma vs. Providence, Davidson vs. No. 10 Arizona [Full bracket]
- Breakdown: The Battle 4 Atlantis features three ranked teams: Indiana, Gonzaga and Arizona. Indiana opens the tournament against a new-look Louisville squad, while Gonzaga faces West Virginia on the same side of the bracket. If Arizona runs the table against Davidson and the winner of Oklahoma/Providence, Tommy Lloyd's team could face Gonzaga or Indiana in the championship game.
5. Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship
- Date: Nov. 21-22
- Location: Nassau, Bahamas
- Matchups: No. 8 Baylor vs. St. John's,No. 12 Tennessee vs. Virginia [Full bracket]
- Breakdown: Baylor opens the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship against Rick Pitino and St. John's. On the other side of the bracket, No. 12 Tennessee will face Virginia - a program that saw its longtime coach, Tony Bennett, step down just days before the start of the season. Baylor facing Tennessee in the championship game would be one of the best nonconference games of the entire season.
6. Legends Classic
- Date: Nov. 21-22
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
- Matchups: Syracuse vs. No. 19 Texas, Texas Tech vs. Saint Joseph's [Full bracket]
- Breakdown: Syracuse's matchup with Texas will feature one of the best first-year players in the sport. Texas star forward Tre Johnson broke Kevin Durant's program record for most points in a freshman debut with a 29-point showing in a season-opening loss to Ohio State. Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman recorded a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) and added an assist in his first game. Texas Tech's game against Saint Joseph's is an intriguing matchup on the other side of the bracket.
7. Rady Children's Invitational
- Date: Nov. 28-29
- Location: San Diego
- Matchups: No. 14 Purdue vs. NC State, BYU vs. No. 24 Ole Miss
- Breakdown: Purdue will face NC State in a rematch of this past spring's Final Four - a game the Boilermakers won to end NC State's magical run to the final weekend of the college basketball season. BYU will face Ole Miss on the other side of the bracket. The player to watch in his tournament is BYU freshman Egor Demin, who could be a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
8. Fort Myers Tip-Off
- Date: Nov. 25-27
- Location: Fort Myers, Florida
- Matchups: Miami (OH) vs. Siena, Jacksonville vs. Mercer, Michigan vs. Virginia Tech, South Carolina vs. Xavier [Full schedule]
- Breakdown: Michigan should be the favorite to win this event. The Wolverines open against Virginia Tech and will face the winner of South Carolina/Xavier in the Riviera Division title game. The player to watch is South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles. The sophomore forward bypassed the 2024 NBA Draft and is already receiving lottery buzz to become a top pick this summer.
