Feast Week-Plus Viewer’s Guide: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, 2021

For a more complete listing of today’s games, visit the daily schedule at Matt Sarz’s Sports, adjustable by time zone.

All times are Eastern.

Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinals

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Championship

ESPN will air both games.

Michigan State (Big Ten, 3-1, 20 KenPom) vs. UConn (Big East, 5-0, 18 KP), 12 p.m.
VCU (A 10, 3-2, 98 KP) vs. Baylor (Big 12, 5-0, 4 KP), 5 p.m.

Consolation

ESPN2 will air both games.

Loyola Chicago (MVC, 4-1, 33 KP) vs. Auburn (SEC, 3-1, 30 KP), approx. 2:30 p.m.
Syracuse (ACC, 2-2, 58 KP) vs. Arizona State (Pac-12, 2-3, 63 KP), approx. 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s two of quarterfinal doubleheaders were radically different from a competitive standpoint. The day began with the Spartans edging the Ramblers, 63-61, after an intense, physical showdown. Then, the Huskies and Tigers played an absolutely wild double OT affair that ended 115-106 in favor of UConn. So, the noon Eastern semifinal and 2:30 consolation game should both be highly entertaining.

The evening session saw the Orange struggle from the field (29%) and on defense in falling to the Rams, 67-55. Then, the tournament favorite Bears routed the Sun Devils in the nightcap, 75-63, a deceptively close score. Baylor should be able to get past VCU easily in the 5 Eastern semifinal, while the Syracuse-ASU consolation game looks very much like a battle of two teams who will need to make major strides to be competitive nationally.

ESPN Events Invitational Quarterfinals

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Dayton (A 10, 1-3, 132 KP) vs. Miami (Fla.) (ACC, 3-1, 84 KP), 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
North Texas (C-USA, 2-1, 116 KP) vs. Kansas (Big 12, 3-0, 2 KP), approx. 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Alabama (SEC, 4-0, 17 KP) vs. Iona (MAAC, 5-0, 143 KP), approx. 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Belmont (OVC, 3-2, 76 KP) vs. Drake (MVC, 3-0, 51 KP), approx. 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

The field at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports includes five 2021 NCAA Tournament teams, four of whom won a game. Two matchups are all-Tournament affairs, with Alabama and Iona a rematch of the Crimson Tide’s 68-55 first round win. The fourth quarterfinal has some extra added holiday spice, as Belmont and 2021 First Four winner Drake will be Missouri Valley rivals starting next season.

Las Vegas Invitational Semifinals

FS1 will both games.

New Mexico (MW, 4-1, 260 KP) vs. UAB (C-USA, 4-1, 53 KP), 7 p.m.
San Francisco (WCC, 6-0, 36 KP) vs. Towson (CAA, 3-2, 195 KP), approx. 9:30 p.m.

The best possible final combination from this group would see the Blazers meet the Dons tomorrow night. San Francisco will look to restart the WCC’s early good run after Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara both recorded their first losses on Wednesday. Towson, however, will provide a nice challenge for USF, as the Tigers are also representing a league that’s started more strongly than expected, the Colonial Athletic.

Baha Mar Bahamas Championship Semifinals

Bracket

CBSSN will air both games.

Maryland (Big Ten, 4-1, 41 KP) vs. Richmond (A 10, 3-2, 62 KP), 7 p.m.
Louisville (ACC, 3-1, 49 KP) vs. Mississippi State (SEC, 4-0, 43 KP), approx. 9:30 p.m.

This is a new event, set for the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas, naturally. There are a lot of question marks surrounding the teams in this field after the first two weeks of the season:

• Maryland lost to George Mason at home and defeated Hofstra by a mere two points in an on-campus game for this event.
• Richmond handled the Pride last time out, but the Spiders lost to Utah State at the Veterans Classic (not as much of an upset as it seemed at the time) and Drake on the road.
• Louisville dropped a home game to Furman and defeated Detroit Mercy by just six in its on-campus Baha Mar contest.
• Mississippi State is undefeated ... but hasn’t beaten a team ranked higher in KenPom than 165th (Montana).

Paycom Wooden Legacy Semifinals

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ESPN2 will air both games.

USC (Pac-12, 4-0, 19 KP) vs. Saint Joseph’s (A 10, 2-2, 238 KP), 9:30 p.m.
Georgetown (Big East, 2-1, 88 KP) vs. San Diego State (MW, 3-1, 39 KP), approx. 12 a.m. 11/26

The 2020 edition was supposed to be the first Wooden Legacy to feature four teams (Georgetown, Kansas, UCLA, and Virginia) instead of the eight of previous editions. That didn’t happen, so this edition, which sees the Hoyas lined up against three new opponents, will be the first streamlined Anaheim tournament. Given that Saint Joe’s isn’t very good and Georgetown may not be (though the Hoyas handled both American and Siena with ease after dropping their home opener to Dartmouth), expect an all-Southern California final on Friday.

Las Vegas Classic Semifinals

San Diego (WCC, 3-2, 157 KP) vs. South Alabama (Sun Belt, 3-2, 237 KP), 1:30 p.m.
UIC (Horizon, 2-2, 252 KP) vs. Hawai’i (Big West, 2-1, 207 KP), approx. 4 p.m.

In the past, this tournament was played over Christmas week in Las Vegas, but in 2019 its format changed to a round-robin that was played mostly on campus except for a showcase game at the Orleans Arena. Now, it fills the role of the former visitor’s bracket of the Las Vegas Invitational, an early doubleheader that doesn’t feature any TC coverage (as of now anyway).