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College Hoops Viewing Guide For Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving! There will be plenty of college basketball to keep you busy before, during, and after your holiday feast.

NCAA Basketball: Belmont at Florida Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This list of games is not exhaustive by design. For a full schedule and more specific information about coverage—particularly for ACC RSN, ASN, CSN, and FSN games—visit Matt’s College Sports on TV Website.

If you’re only able to listen to tonight, check out TuneIn’s college basketball lineup.

All times are Eastern, adjust accordingly.

Well, at least half of Wednesday’s finals were competitive. The Houston Cougars broke the Vermont Catamounts’ hearts, as Devin Davis popped in a lay-up as time expired to give the Cougars a 72-71 win in the Gulf Coast Showcase final. Later, the Valparaiso Crusaders needed both a 26-point, 12-rebound night from Alec Peters and a 23-point one from Shane Hammink to top the BYU Cougars in the Men Who Speak Up Main Event final, 92-89.

On the other hand, the Purdue Boilermakers used a huge 53-30 second half to overwhelm the Auburn Tigers 96-71 in the Cancun Challenge championship game. A whopping six Boilermakers scored more than 10 on the night, led by Carsen Edwards with 21. In the Maui Jim Maui Invitational finale, the North Carolina Tar Heels ran their record to 7-0 by smoking the Wisconsin Badgers 71-56, thanks in no small part to Kennedy Meeks’ “Mr. Everything” performance of 15 points and 16 boards.

No championships will be awarded today, but four tournaments open play today and tonight.

Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinals (Primer)

Baylor
Semifinal No. 1
Baylor Bears (Big 12) (4-0)
vs.
Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten) (3-2)
12 p.m. (ESPN)
Michigan St
Louisville
Semifinal No. 2
Wichita State Shockers (MVC) (5-0)
vs.
Louisville Cardinals (ACC) (4-0)
approx. 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Wichita St
VCU
Consolation No. 1
VCU Rams (A 10) (3-1)
vs.
St. John's Red Storm (Big East) (2-2)
7 p.m. (AXS TV)
St John's
LSU
Consolation No. 2
LSU Tigers (SEC) (3-1)
vs.
Old Dominion Monarchs (C-USA) (2-1)
approx. 9:30 p.m. (AXS TV)
ODU

If Michigan State starts as slowly against Baylor as it did against St. John’s on Wednesday night, it might want to start making plans to play in the third-place game on Friday afternoon. The Bears overwhelmed VCU late to slide into today’s opener, so they’ll provide a stiffer challenge for the Spartans than the Red Storm provided.

In the second semifinal, Louisville will be tested by a tenacious Wichita State squad that can actually shoot the ball. That’s something the Cardinals’ quarterfinal opponent, Old Dominion, didn’t really do all that well (at least from outside) in what ended up as a 68-62 U of L overtime win in Wednesday’s nightcap.

AdvoCare Invitational Quarterfinals (Primer)

ESPN2 will air all four games.

Indiana St
Indiana State Sycamores (MVC) (2-1)
vs.
Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12) (3-0)
12:30 p.m.
Iowa St
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal (Pac-12) (4-0)
vs.
Miami Hurricanes (ACC) (3-0)
approx. 3 p.m.
Miami
Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC) (3-0)
vs.
Quinnipiac Bobcats (MAAC) (0-2)
6:30 p.m.
Quinnipiac
SHU
Seton Hall Pirates (Big East) (3-0)
vs.
Florida Gators (SEC) (4-0)
approx. 9 p.m.
Florida

The second game of each of today’s doubleheaders at Walt Disney World should be excellent. Miami‘s efficient offense will get its best test yet in Stanford to close the early session. However, the finale between Seton Hall and Florida (who should have a lot of crowd support, including yours truly) potentially shaping up as the best game of the day. It feels like an NCAA 4 vs. 5 second round game, with the Pirates’ shooting likely to give the Gators’ fits and UF’s length a potential disruptor for the Hall.

Here’s the updated full bracket.

2106 Advocare
2016 AdvoCare Invitational Bracket
ESPN Events

NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals (Primer)

ESPNU will air both games.

Temple
Temple Owls (American) (2-2)
vs.
Florida State Seminoles (ACC) (4-0)
12:30 p.m.
FSU
Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten) (4-1)
vs.
West Virginia Mountaineers (Big 12) (3-0)
approx. 3 p.m.
WVU

Both Temple (New Hampshire) and Illinois (Winthrop) already lost on-campus games as part of this event, while Florida State and West Virginia have cruised through the early portion of their respective schedules.

Here’s the updated full bracket.

2016 NIT Season Tip-Off
2016 NIT Season Tip-Off Bracket
ESPN Events

Directv Wooden Legacy Quarterfinals (Primer)

Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies (SEC) (2-1)
vs.
Cal State Northridge Matadors (Big West) (2-2)
2 p.m. (ESPN3)
CSUN
New Mexico
New Mexico Lobos (MW) (3-0)
vs.
Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC) (3-0)
approx. 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Virginia Tech
Dayton
Dayton Flyers (A 10) (2-1)
vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten) (3-0)
8:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Nebraska
Portland
Portland Pilots (WCC) (3-0)
vs.
UCLA Bruins (Pac-12) (4-0)
approx. 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
UCLA

I’m far more optimistic about UCLA‘s chances in this event than when I wrote the event primer back in August. With Lonzo Ball running the show, the Bruins’ offense is on fire, scoring below 100 just once (and that was a 20-point win over San Diego). And with Dayton shorthanded in the frontcourt, the Bruins and Virginia Tech look to be the favorites in this event.

Once again, the updated full bracket.

2016 Wooden
2016 Directv Wooden Legacy Bracket
ESPN Events

Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational Semifinals (Primer)

FS1 will air both games.

Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC) (2-2)
vs.
Butler Bulldogs (Big East) (4-0)
8 p.m.
Butler
Arizona
Arizona Wildcats (Pac-12) (4-0)
vs.
Santa Clara Broncos (WCC) (3-2)
approx. 10:30 p.m.
Santa Clara

Even though Arizona hasn’t looked awesome at times in opening the season with four wins, the Wildcats are rather heavy favorites to leave the Orleans Arena with the trophy. Santa Clara hasn’t beaten a team ranked better than 319th in KenPom yet, while Vanderbilt will enter its game with Butler an underdog. The Commodores lost their final on-campus contest in this event on Monday, 75-72 at the hands of Bucknell.

GCI Great Alaska Shootout Quarterfinals, Night Two (Primer)

CBSSN will air both games.

Drake
Drake Bulldogs (MVC) (1-2)
vs.
Iona Gaels (MAAC) (0-2)
9:30 p.m.
Iona
UC Davis
UC Davis Aggies (Big West) (4-1)
vs.
Weber State Wildcats (Big Sky) (1-2)
approx. 12 a.m. 11/25
WeberSt

Last night, Buffalo raced past host Alaska Anchorage and Nevada Wolf Pack slipped past Oakland to qualify for Friday’s semifinals. This evening, two 2016 NCAA teams who have combined for a single win so far this season—Iona and Weber State—will look to join them.

Logos from SportsLogos.net.

Non-Tournament Action Of Note

Montana Grizzlies (1-4) at Ole Miss Rebels (4-1) (Paradise Jam), 4 p.m. (SEC Network+)

This is the only non-neutral site game of the day. It’s odd timing, but there is a plus for Rebel fans staying in Oxford for the holiday.

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