How to Enjoy Feast Week

Well, it's that time of year again. College Basketball is back in full swing, the holidays are right around the corner and that means Feast Week is coming. For those unfamiliar with this concept, Feast Week is wall to wall College Hoops that will tip off on Thursday, November 21 bright and early with the Boardwalk Battle and will last through Sunday, December 1 with the Baha Mar- Nassau Championship. Yes, that means essentially non-stop hoops for 11 straight days!

The Elephant in the Room

• What am I supposed to do if I have to work?

This is the question most people are going to ask when we get to this time of the year and I think it is an important question to address first and foremost. If this is the question you are asking, I have a few solutions for you.

1. Take the week off from work. Listen, this might not be easy for you to do, but hear me out. November 21-22 will not be extremely important for you to take off as there aren't many marquee matchups during the day, meaning you can still catch plenty of great action when you get home. That means you would need to take time off from the 25th-29th. Thanksgiving is on the 28th which you will get off anyways and some folks get the day after off as well, which is commonly referred to as Black Friday. That means you only have to take off 4 days (or 3 in some cases) and you get to sit on your couch eating chips, turkey and then leftover Thanksgiving food while watching ball for 9 (!!!!) days straight.

   
   

2. Call out sick. Now look, this is may or may not be frowned upon at your place of work, or you might just feel this is morally wrong unless you are physically ill. But, it is an option nonetheless and if you can get away with it, you can watch hoops all day everyday at the expense of faking a cough when you call your boss each morning.

   
   

3. Watch basketball at work. This won't be possible for everybody. A lot of employers have strict rules about what sites can and can't be visited during normal business hours and you might be restricted in a lot of ways in attempt to accomplish this. You almost certainly will not be able to watch multiple games at once all day every day but you might just be able to catch a glimpse of Tulsa and Detroit Mercy while you sit at your desk.

   
   

4. Disclaimer: this is your LAST resort and I am not endorsing this option in any way. You could quit your job entirely and try to create a career as a College Basketball handicapper. Listen, I said I don't recommend this and I mean it. Feast Week is hard enough to bet on as it is, and with the added pressure of this being your only way to make a living, it could cripple you. If you are going to go this route, I would highly recommend making a backup plan for future employment if this goes poorly. However, if it means that much to you, this is America and you could do it. If so, please reach out to Full Court Man and we will find a way to utilize you.

   
   

5. Watch when you can. Look, this isn't ideal but for most of you reading this, it will be your only option. You will have to watch Feast Week whenever you are able. This might be before/after work and that's fine. There will be plenty of exciting matchups for you to enjoy regardless and maybe you can take a peek at some scores while you're in the office.

   
   
   
   

   

   Warning: Feast Week may cause FOMO

   
   
   
   

The Meat and Potatoes

Alright, so let's get into everything that Feast Week will entail. Whichever option you choose from the list above, there is going to be action and you are going to want to tune in. Let's get into some of these tournaments and what to look out for.

The Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27)

The landmark tournament of Feast Week is the tournament in Maui. This year's bracket is not as great as in years past, but it will still satisfy.

Nov. 25 Maui Invitational Opening Game Matchups

• Memphis vs. Connecticut

• Colorado vs. Michigan State

• Auburn vs. Iowa State

• Dayton vs. North Carolina

Pick: Auburn +310

This Auburn team has a legitimate chance to compete for a national championship this season and they are rolling already with some dominant performances and already a win over a strong Houston club. Give me the Tigers to win the Maui Invitational in what will be a great test against teams like the defending champions in UCONN and a very experienced UNC Tar Heels team.

The Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 27-29)

This will be the most watched Feast Week tournament and features a really strong bracket.

Nov. 27 Battle 4 Atlantis Opening Game Matchups

• Louisville vs. Indiana

• West Virginia vs. Gonzaga

• Oklahoma vs. Providence

• Davidson vs. Arizona

Pick: Gonzaga +160

This group of teams is very formidable, however I like the Bulldogs here as the favorite. Gonzaga has assembles their best team in years with a strong group of returners and transfers like Khalif Battle and Michael Ajayi that have come in and meshed well. I think Gonzaga has the best offense in the country to this point. Other challengers in this tournament are just dealing with too many early struggles related to building chemistry.

The Players Era Festival (Nov. 26-30)

In the inaugural season of this event hosted at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV there is a plethora of fantastic matchups to keep an eye on. The winner of this tournament will take home $1M towards their school's NIL collective.

Nov. 26/ 27 Players Era Festival Opening Game Matchups

• San Diego State vs. Creighton

• Notre Dame vs. Rutgers

• Oregon vs. Texas A&M

• Houston vs. Alabama

• Creighton vs. Texas A&M

• Oregon vs. San Diego State

• Rutgers vs. Alabama

• Notre Dame vs. Houston

After the first round matchups, each team will be re-seeded based on their head-to-head records and point differentials to determine a championship game, and consolation matchups for 3rd, 5th and 7th places.

Pick: Ride Rutgers

While you can't bet on an outright winner of this tournament due to the non-standard format, look for Rutgers to come out hot. I have a lot of confidence in Rutgers young backcourt talent and think they have the goods inside to make themselves a legitimate B1G contender this season. This could be a great opportunity for them to pick up some big time resume boosting wins. They might even be underdogs in both of their first two matchups which could provide some good value on the Scarlet Knights.

The Charleston Classic (Nov. 21-24)

The Charleston Classic will be the best tournament to take in at the front end of Feast Week.

Nov. 21 Charleston Classic Opening Game Matchups

• Miami vs. Drake

• Oklahoma State vs. Florida Atlantic

• Seton Hall vs. VCU

• Vanderbilt vs. Nevada

Pick: VCU

No odds are available for the winner of this tournament and I think it could be the most wide open Feast Week bracket. Miami could make a statement with a new look, Seton Hall could exorcise their early season demons in Charleston or Nevada could prove they're legitimate MW contenders. However, I'm backing the Rams here in what will prove they are one of the best mid-major teams in the country. I love the way this team has looked so far this year led by Max Shulga.

Best of the Rest

The Boardwalk Battle starts Nov. 21 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, FL.

• James Madison vs. Illinois-Chicago

• La Salle vs. UC San Diego

• East Carolina vs. Jacksonville State

• Toledo vs. Stetson

The Myrtle Beach Invitational tips off on Nov. 21 at xx in Conway, SC.

• Ohio vs. Middle Tennessee State

• South Florida vs. Portland

• Bradley vs. Texas State

• Princeton vs. Wright State

There are more than 15 additional in-season bracketed college basketball tournaments through November and Thanksgiving week that feature four-team tournaments.

There are also a variety of regular season matchups during Feast Week including Duke @ Arizona (Nov. 22) and Kansas vs. Duke (Nov. 26) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

So, with all that being said, there is no shortage of exhilarating matchups to check out this week and all of Thanksgiving week. No matter which path you choose on how to tune in, we can all agree that we will give our thanks to a mouth-watering platter of College Basketball over the course of this year's Feast Week.