For the average American, Thanksgiving week is a relaxing time to eat a bunch of food, spend time with friends and family and take a little break from the hustle and bustle of life.
That’s not really the case for the Texas Tech basketball team. Grant McCasland said Tuesday morning the Red Raiders have enjoyed good food since they’ve arrived in the Bahamas, and the Battle 4 Atlantis allows the team to bond even more than they already have.
Beyond positives like these, the Red Raiders will play three games in three days against their toughest non-conference opponents of the year, starting with Wednesday’s matchup with Villanova at 1:30 p.m. CST.
What the college basketball world affectionately knows as Feast Week is an appropriate label. Tournaments all over the country pit some of the best teams against each other for early challenges they’d would otherwise decline scheduling without a vacation destination involved.
It’s feast or famine for many teams.
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One thing these tournaments provide teams like Texas Tech is a chance to measure up against teams that are projected to be top-flight squads throughout the season. It’s résumé-boosting season before getting to conference play.
The Red Raiders have an opportunity in front of them, and it can go a number of different directions.
Last year’s Maui Invitational had the same sort of setup for Texas Tech. The field was loaded with perennial contenders like Creighton, Louisville, Ohio State, Arkansas, Arizona and San Diego State. The Aztecs played for the national championship. Creighton went to the Elite Eight. Arizona was a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s Battle 4 Atlantis field has similar star power. Villanova has revamped its roster under head coach Kyle Neptune. North Carolina needs no introduction. Arkansas is again in Tech’s tournament. Michigan and Memphis each have talented teams on the rise.
Going 1-2 in Maui, the win coming against one of the worst Louisville teams ever, was the first red flag for Texas Tech last season. What will their stay in the Battle 4 Atlantis have in store?
“This group is close,” Grant McCasland said, “but I think the competition and going through difficult things and learning about our team is going to be what’s the best.”
There are a number of ways this tournament can go for the Red Raiders. Earning a 1-2 record could be a disaster, and it could also be a big success. That all depends on which teams Tech winds up playing.
Facing Villanova, North Carolina and then, say, Michigan or Arkansas, would make a 1-2 record more digestible. Each of these teams feel like surefire NCAA Tournament picks right now. Of course, we thought that of the Wildcats and Tar Heels this time last year, and that didn’t turn out so well.
Still, those four teams represent the best possible opponent outcomes for the Red Raiders. Losing to two of them wouldn’t be a bad thing. Like McCasland said, they’d be the best ways to learn the most about this year’s team.
On the flip side, an opening-round loss to Villanova could turn this isn’t another Maui nightmare scenario.
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Falling to the Wildcats, the Red Raiders would likely get Northern Iowa on Thursday and probably Stanford or Memphis on Friday. UNI, representing the Missouri Valley Conference, hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since Tubby Smith was still Tech’s coach. Johnny Dawkins, who has been UCF’s head coach since 2016, was the last coach to experience March Madness with the Cardinal.
Going 1-2 with the win being Wednesday? It can be considered a successful trip. Going 1-2 and the win being Thursday or Friday? That would be a long plane ride back to Lubbock.
The 2022 Maui Invitational told us plenty about the Red Raiders. What will the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis tell us?