Feast Week Takeaways: Purdue, UConn Have Plenty to Celebrate Over Thanksgiving

From the Maui Invitational to the Empire Classic, the results from several high-profile tourneys last week could prove crucial come Selection Sunday.

Feast Week produced plenty of epic moments, with tons of high-level games that taught us plenty about the landscape of college basketball. From headliner events like the loaded Maui Invitational to breakout performances in smaller events, moments from this past week will have a substantial impact through to Selection Sunday. Here’s a look at what we learned throughout Feast Week.

Purdue is a clear No. 1

Advanced analytics had backed the Boilermakers as the preseason No. 1, but many voters had reservations after last year’s debacle against Fairleigh Dickinson. And while there’s nothing Purdue can do to win over certain doubters until March, the Boilermakers winning arguably the most loaded Maui Invitational ever makes them the undisputed No. 1 team … at least in the regular season.

Matt Painter’s team beat three top-15 teams in the AP poll in three days. Perhaps, most impressively, was the fact that it took three very different recipes to win those three games. Gonzaga’s strength is its frontcourt, but Zach Edey wore them down, and Purdue pulled away. Tennessee’s physicality and defense have made it one of the nation’s most consistent programs lately, but Purdue won that game behind a career day from Fletcher Loyer. And Marquette breaks you down with speed and elite passing, but Purdue put together a hyperefficient offensive day and led most of the way

The tests won’t stop: Purdue hits the road to take on Northwestern on Friday and has neutral-court games with Alabama and Arizona later in December. But for now, Purdue has earned the label as the nation’s best team.

The Boilermakers have started the season 6–0, including three straight wins over ranked opponents :: Steven Erler/USA TODAY Sports

A big bounce back for Villanova

Coach Kyle Neptune took plenty of heat after losing to Penn in the season’s second week, but Neptune silenced most of those questions with a convincing week at Battle 4 Atlantis, capped by a blowout win in the title game over Memphis. In all, the Wildcats picked up three wins over potential NCAA tournament teams in Texas Tech, North Carolina and Memphis, a major résumé-building week for a program trying to get back to the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats’ loaded transfer class is still finding its stride, but returners Eric Dixon and Justin Moore starred during the week. Dixon’s offensive growth was on full display, with 34 points vs. North Carolina while knocking down off-movement threes to open up the offense. If one of the Wildcats’ three transfer wings (TJ Bamba, Hakim Hart and Tyler Burton) emerges as a legitimate third star, this team can win the Big East.

UConn is a threat to repeat

UConn may have lost Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr. to the pros, but the Huskies haven’t missed much of a beat. They impressed in a major way in wins over Indiana and Texas at Madison Square Garden, then blew out Manhattan to tie the all-time record for most consecutive nonconference wins by double figures (23). The faces may be different, but UConn’s winning recipe is very similar to what it had last year: Tons of shooting, two high-level centers, quality depth and tenacious defense. When PG Tristen Newton plays well, they’re very tough to beat, and the fifth-year guard has been outstanding so far this season.

Florida Atlantic rolls at Disney World

The damaging defeat taken by Florida Atlantic against Bryant last week was a concerning sign for last year’s Cinderella, but the Owls responded with a monster showing at the ESPN Events Invitational with three high-major wins. FAU landed a ranked win over a very good Texas A&M team and also added wins over Butler and Virginia Tech, including a blowout in the title game over the Hokies. The big difference: Star guards Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis bounced back from slow starts, with Martin scoring in double figures in all three games headlined by a 25-point outburst versus Texas A&M. Winning this tournament solidifies the Owls as a top-25 team and gives them some résumé-building wins to solidify their at-large case.

BYU’s strong start continues

One of the biggest surprises in the country resides in Provo, Utah. BYU, picked second to last in the Big 12 preseason poll, will enter December undefeated and in the top 10 nationally per KenPom’s rankings after a pair of convincing wins over Arizona State and NC State. Mark Pope’s team isn’t loaded with individual talent, but collectively has looked elite thus far. They’re running an efficient offense, dominating the glass thanks to Fousseyni Traore and have made big strides defensively. With a manageable schedule ahead, there’s a real chance the Cougars will enter Big 12 play undefeated.

Oklahoma makes a statement

Oklahoma entered Feast Week having won its four games by an average of 33 points, albeit against much weaker competition. The Sooners proved they’re much improved with a pair of big wins in Southern California, handling Iowa before knocking down a ranked USC team in thrilling fashion. Coming into the season, Coach Porter Moser believed he finally had enough athleticism to compete in the Big 12, and that popped on film throughout the tournament. Sophomores Otega Oweh and Milos Uzan have taken big steps forward, while transfers like Javian McCollum, Jalon Moore and John Hugley IV have made a big impact. And perhaps most importantly: The buy-in from all those new faces in Moser’s system is very high. This looks like an NCAA tournament team.

Oklahoma won the Rady Children’s Invitational with a win over No. 23 USC this weekend :: Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

Colorado State enters Cinderella conversation

Colorado State went dancing two years ago as a No. 6 seed, then took a step back in 2022–23 after losing star David Roddy to the NBA. But Niko Medved’s team looks just as good, if not better, than that ’21–22 squad after blowing out Creighton on Thanksgiving. Fifth-year point guard Isaiah Stevens is one of the best in the country, and Medved’s offense is incredibly hard to guard with the amount of shooting and skill it surrounds Stevens with. The Creighton win puts the Rams in prime at-large contention, but right now the Rams look like a strong contender to win the Mountain West.

Jerod Haase’s seat keeps warming

Many insiders believed last year would be the end of the line for Jerod Haase at Stanford. Instead, Haase survived one more year despite missing the NCAA tournament for a seventh straight year. It seems like an eighth such year is incoming after a disappointing Feast Week, and it’s hard to believe the Cardinal coach has much leash if that happens. Stanford went winless at Battle 4 Atlantis, including a blowout defeat in the seventh-place game to Northern Iowa. The Cardinal have now lost their four toughest games thus far and don’t really pass the eye test, either. This is an incredibly difficult job given the academic standards, especially in the transfer portal age, but it’s hard to justify the status quo right now.