ESPN’s Feast Week is a Thanksgiving tradition in college basketball, filled with high-stakes tournaments and early-season drama. This year’s event didn’t disappoint, with the Maui Invitational taking center stage as it returned to its home in Hawaii. The tournament offered some of the most electrifying moments of the week, cementing winners and exposing flaws in others, as large comebacks was the name of the game.
Biggest Winner: Auburn
Auburn shined as the Maui Invitational champion, showcasing their dominance. Led by Johni Broome, who averaged 21.6 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks over the tournament, Auburn defeated Memphis in the final with a commanding 90-76 victory. Broome earned MVP honors, solidifying his position as an early candidate for National Player of the Year. Auburn’s teamwork was another highlight, with 23 assists and just nine turnovers in the title game. The Tigers’ balanced play, including contributions from Dylan Cardwell and Denver Jones, displayed why they are a top contender this season and a team Kentucky will need to watch out for.
Other Winners
Memphis Tigers-Despite losing to Auburn in the finals, Penny’s team made it there; something that was not expected with teams like UCONN there.
Alabama Crimson Tide- A huge win over Houston at a neutral site primes the Tide to rise to the top 5 next week.
Florida Gators- A dominant tournament victory over Wichita State showcases the Gators ability on the court, but remains to be seen what happens off the court.
Biggest Loser: UConn
On the flip side, UConn, last year’s NCAA champion, stumbled in Maui. The Huskies dropped three straight games, with their struggles culminating in a loss to Dayton. UConn’s inefficiency on offense and inconsistent defense raised concerns about their ability to defend their title. Head coach Danny Hurley invoked Bobby Knight, you can read about that here if you missed it.
Injuries added to their woes, with Alex Karaban sustaining a head injury during the tournament, compounding the team’s difficulties. The Huskies will need to regroup all around.
Other Losers
Arkansas Razorbacks- The team has struggled in games it shouldn’t and lost to Illinois in a game they were never really in. Cal has some work to do.
Arizona Wildcats- 1-3 over the week and didn’t look to be in the game versus Duke at all, the west coast Wildcats have some work to do to get back to contending under Tommy Lloyd.
North Carolina Tar Heels- The Heels struggled in the first half against Hawaii before dominating in the second. Then got down double digits in the next two games, both losses. Herbert Davis will look to get off to better starts to avoid even more losses.
Feast Week has once again delivered excitement and clarity in the early season of college basketball, offering a snapshot of teams that could dominate come March while exposing weaknesses others must address.
Kentucky has a big week coming up as they play Clemson and Gonzaga as part of their feast week.
