College basketball Week 4: 5 best games of the week – Thanksgiving tourney time

The Maui Invitation and Battle 4 Atlantis are noteworthy tournaments to watch as college basketball enters Thanksgiving week.

Thanksgiving may be known for its ties to the NFL, but there is still some college basketball action to watch this week. The week features several elite non-conference tournaments, headlined by the always-exciting Maui Invitational. Below are our top five college basketball games of the week die-hard fans will have to make sure they watch.

Maui Invitational: Monday-Wednesday on ESPN Family of Networks

The Maui Invitational is a prestigious event, and this year will be no different. Michigan State, Kansas, UCLA, and Virginia Tech are among the programs looking to claim the crown on Wednesday night, with the top potential matchup featuring a showdown between the Spartans and Jayhawks.

Battle 4 Atlantis: Wednesday-Friday on ESPN Family of Networks

The other big-time tournament this week is the Battle 4 Atlantis, which takes place in the Bahamas. The loaded field includes North Carolina, Gonzaga, Michigan, Seton Hall, and Oregon, with the latter two set to square off in a first round matchup on Wednesday.

Barclays Center Classic: N.C. State (5-1) vs. Memphis (6-1)-Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2

If you don’t feel like watching football on Thanksgiving, pull up a seat and watch this intriguing non-conference matchup from Brooklyn. The Wolfpack take their 5-1 record up against Memphis’ superstar class of freshmen, which is still dangerous even without James Wiseman.

Emerald Coast Classic: Tennessee (4-0) vs. Florida State (4-1)-Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

The undefeated Volunteers travel down to Niceville, Florida to take on the Florida State Seminoles in the Emerald Coast Classic. This is a big opportunity for both teams, who are off to hot starts after not being considered big factors in their conference’s preseason polls.

Mid-Major Game of the Week: Utah State (7-0) at Saint Mary’s (5-1)-Friday at 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU

This week’s mid-major spotlight is a dandy as two of the top potential bracket busters square off. The Aggies are off to a fast start even without Neemias Queta while the Gaels already have a nice win over Wisconsin on their resume, with a win here being big for either squad’s resume.

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