Outside of March Madness, Feast Week is arguably the best stretch of days throughout the college basketball season. With slates of high-level matchups going from late morning to past midnight, the Thanksgiving week multiple-team events (MTEs) are a dream come true for college basketball fans. The MTEs also give fans a break from watching blowout buy games and instead see how they stack up against top competition at neutral sites. During Feast Week action, some squads stepped up to the occasion while others already have fans looking forward to next year. These are the 10 biggest winners and losers from this year’s Feast Week.
Winners
Michigan
Nobody had a better Feast Week than Michigan. The Wolverines entered the Players Era Festival with some uncertainty after escaping some early-season games against inferior competition. Michigan silenced any doubters in Las Vegas, winning its three games by a combined 110 points, including beating then-No. 1 KenPom team Gonzaga by 40. UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg took home tournament MVP honors and firmly established himself as one of the country’s premier players. After the MTE, the Wolverines have separated themselves at KenPom No. 1 and look every bit like a championship contender.
Vanderbilt
Because of the rise of the Players Era Festival, other tournaments such as the Battle 4 Atlantis no longer feature the same level of competition. Despite this, Vanderbilt made a major statement in the Bahamas. After picking up wins against Western Kentucky and VCU, the Commodores put the nation on notice with a 96-71 rout of Saint Mary’s. The 96 points are the most Randy Bennett has allowed in a regulation game in his 25-year tenure, and shows how dynamic this Vanderbilt offense can be. Oklahoma transfer guard Duke Miles earned tournament MVP honors after scoring 20 or more points in all three games, and sophomore point guard Tyler Tanner looks to have taken a clear leap. In just his second year with the Commodores, Mark Byington is establishing them as an SEC contender.
Iowa State
The Players Era Festival’s questionable bracketing format kept Iowa State from earning extra prize money, yet the Cyclones still returned from Las Vegas as clear winners. They went 3-0, with wins over St. John’s, Creighton and Syracuse. They won the latter two games with ease despite missing star point guard Tamin Lipsey after he sustained an injury against the Red Storm. His absence led to a breakout from French freshman Killyan Toure, who is showing he fits T.J. Otzelberger’s system like a glove. Do-it-all forward Joshua Jefferson also had a strong homecoming in Las Vegas, and currently sits No. 2 in the KenPom Player of the Year Standings. Iowa State continued to show that it is one of the nation’s premier teams with its two-way performance.
TCU
TCU was one of the biggest losers on opening night after losing to New Orleans, but the Horned Frogs have flipped the script and are trending upward following the Rady Children’s Invitational. In the semifinal, they knocked off defending national champion Florida, then followed it with a championship win over Wisconsin. Iowa transfer Brock Harding earned MVP honors after posting a combined 35 points and 16 assists over two games. Sophomore forward David Punch also shined, establishing himself as a Big 12 breakout star. While the season once looked bleak for Jamie Dixon and company, the Horned Frogs now have strong momentum heading into December.
Kansas
Kansas was the final team to finish 3-0 in the Players Era Festival, and, unlike typical Jayhawks teams, came into the tournament as underdogs. Star guard Darryn Peterson, the focal point of this Kansas roster, remained out with a hamstring injury. Kansas won its first two games against Notre Dame and Syracuse by double digits, then drew national attention with an 81-76 win over Tennessee, with the Volunteers coming off a win against Houston. With Peterson sidelined, the Jayhawks have gotten strong production out of Flory Bidunga, Tre White, Bryson Tiller and Melvin Council Jr. Kansas showed it can win games without Peterson and hinted at what its ceiling could be once he returns.
Butler
The Big East has struggled early in the 2025-26 season, but Butler has quietly played some of the conference’s best basketball. The Bulldogs won the Greenbrier Tip-Off by knocking off South Carolina and Virginia, then followed it with a Black Friday win over solid mid-major Wright State, outscoring the Raiders by 28 in the second half. Despite being picked 10th in the Big East Preseason Poll, Thad Matta’s squad has positioned itself as the league’s third-best team so far. Gonzaga transfer Michael Ajayi has benefited from a change in scenery, and junior guard Finley Bizjack has taken another leap.
Colorado
Tad Boyle and the Buffaloes widely projected to be one of the worst high-major teams in the country, but Boyle is proving that he can get the most out of his roster. Colorado won the Acrisure Holiday Classic by beating San Francisco and former conference foe Washington on back-to-back days. Junior forward Bangot Dak earned tournament MVP honors and continues to develop on both ends of the floor. Despite bringing in an unheralded class, UC Riverside transfer Barrington Hargress is among the nation’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio and freshmen Isaiah Johnson and Alon Michaeli are both averaging double figures. While the Buffaloes still have plenty to prove, they are already well ahead of expectations.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego had a historic 2024-25 season, winning 30 games and making the NCAA Tournament in its first year of eligibility. However, after head coach Eric Olen left for New Mexico, this year’s Tritons returned only one rotation player. Despite the roster turnover, new head coach Clint Allard is picking up where Olen left off. The Tritons won the ESPN Events Invitational by knocking off Temple, Bradley and Towson by double digits. Division II transfers Leo Beath and Emanuel Prospere II have continued the program’s success with D-II talent, giving the tritons immediate production. UC San Diego shot 16-for-25 from 3-point range in the championship and looks like one of the nation’s premier shooting teams.
Utah Valley
Similar to UC San Diego, Utah Valley lost significant production from last year, as five of its top six scorers transferred, including its top three to high-major programs. The Wolverines went 3-0 in the non-bracketed Cancun Challenge, first knocking off UC Irvine by 7 at home. Utah Valley then looked dominant in the two games played in Cancun, beating solid mid-major programs South Dakota State and Samford by a combined 67 points. Returners Jackson Holcombe and Trevan Leonhardt have stepped up as scorers, while transfers Tyler Hendricks, Braden Housley and Isaac Davis have stepped into the starting lineup. In a seven-team WAC, Utah Valley is setting itself up for a real shot at an NCAA Tournament berth this March.
Yale
James Jones has become one of the nation’s elite mid-major coaches, and Yale showed it again by winning the Paradise Jam. The Bulldogs have an elite offense this season, showcased by their 1.47 points per possession against Akron, one of the nation’s top mid-majors, in the championship game. Forward Nick Townsend earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 22 points per game and recording a 10-assist performance in the win over Akron. After losing star guard John Poulakidas to graduation, Yale is still on pace to have the best offense in the Jones era and once again looks like a team high-majors do not want to see in March.
Losers
Oregon
Heading into Feast Week, Oregon had looked largely unimpressive despite entering without a loss. The Ducks went to the Players Era Festival and left Las Vegas finishing 0-3, suffering double-digit defeats to Auburn, San Diego State and Creighton. Oregon entered the year with high hopes thanks to high level talents Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad, but the supporting cast lacked proven production. Although Kwame Evans has shown signs of growth, the Ducks still lack consistent shot makers. Oregon is currently favored in only three Big Ten games on KenPom, a sign of how low its floor might be without more dependable scoring.
Providence
The Friars came into the season with a tournament-level roster, but were coming off a disastrous finish last season, when they lost 10 out of their final 11 games and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year under Kim English. Defense was the primary concern last year, and it remains an issue after Providence allowed 104 points to Wisconsin and 90 points to Florida in the Rady Children’s Invitational. While the Friars have dealt with early-season injuries, the flaws on the court are evidence of a larger problem. With a struggling Big East and a strong roster on paper, Providence still has a chance to turn things around, but it’s becoming less likely with each game.
Mississippi State
Mississippi State is another team that entered the year with questions about the roster around star guard Josh Hubbard. While Hubbard has produced, the Bulldogs lack efficiency on both ends and are on pace to field Chris Jans’ worst defensive team in Starkville. In the Hall of Fame Classic, Mississippi State lost to Kansas State by 21 and followed it with a defeat to a rebuilding New Mexico team. The Bulldogs also played twice more during the week, escaping against New Orleans in overtime and falling to SMU in overtime, with both games at home. Jans has proven he can get the most out of his rosters, but as of now, Mississippi State is only favored to win one SEC game on KenPom.
Loyola Chicago
It is impossible to find a bigger disappointment in college basketball this season than Loyola Chicago, and that was evident once again during Feast Week. In what could have been a chance to reverse the momentum at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, the Ramblers were blown out by Northern Iowa and then lost by 12 to San Jose State despite holding a halftime lead. Drew Valentine’s squad has now dropped 188 spots in the KenPom ranking and falled -17.38 points in efficiency margin, both numbers nearly doubling the next closest team. Valentine has fielded strong defenses in his time with the Ramblers, but this group has been one of the worst defensive units in the country. The talent is there on paper, but a turnaround seems increasingly unlikely.
Oregon State
A down year was expected for Oregon State after losing all five starters from last season to high-major programs. However, its Feast Week performance was even worse than expected. The Beavers traveled to the Paradise Jam, and returned to Corvallis winless, losing to Evansville, Iona and UMass, all games Oregon State should win even in a rebuilding year. They had opportunities to take all three matchups but could not close any of them, illustrating their lack of reliable options. Feast Week exposed a roster with major holes, and unless the current group takes significant steps forward, Oregon State is staring at a long season ahead.
Georgetown
With the Big East’s well-documented struggles, some thought this could be the year Ed Cooley breaks through and leads Georgetown to the NCAA Tournament. While those hopes are not completely dead, Feast Week left much to be desired. In the Magic bracket of the ESPN Events Invitational, the Hoyas opened up with an overtime loss to Dayton, a game where they rallied from a large deficit to force OT but ultimately fell short. In the third-place game, Georgetown fell to Miami, scoring just three points in the first 10 minutes and never truly threatening. While the losses themselves are not as damaging as some of the other teams on this list, Georgetown is trending in the same troubling direction as much of the conference.
N.C. State
The Maui Invitational was a far cry from its usual form, and N.C. State entered the event as the favorite. However, the Wolfpack were knocked out of title contention immediately, losing their opener to preseason last-place Big East team Seton Hall. After a win over Boise State, N.C. State allowed 102 points to Texas and fell in the fifth-place game. While it is probably not time to press the panic button, the Feast Week showing halted the program’s early momentum. Will Wade has proven himself at several schools, and it is hard to imagine N.C. State not eventually finding its rhythm and competing near the top of the ACC.
Minnesota
Niko Medved did not enter his first season at Minnesota with high expectations, but the Golden Gophers are still leaving Feast Week as one of its clear losers. Following a loss to San Francisco, Minnesota headed to the Acrisure Invitational where it went 0-2, falling to Stanford and Santa Clara. The latter game was a blowout, as the Golden Gophers trailed by 31 at one point in the second half. Medved has helped North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson reemerge, but the rest of the roster lacks the efficient scoring his teams typically feature. The NCAA Tournament is not in sight for Minnesota this year, but the fans will want to see growth as the season progresses.
Maryland
In terms of pure results, Maryland’s Feast Week, a win against UNLV and losses to Gonzaga and Alabama, does not look disastrous on paper. However, the Terrapins dropped those two games by a combined 72 points and were not competitive in either. It continues a rough start to the Buzz Williams era in College Park, and although they are still without forward Solomon Washington due to injury, Maryland lacks much of an identity on either end of the floor. In his past stops, Williams developed distinct identities, elite offensive rebounding at Texas A&M and efficient offenses at Virginia Tech, but this year’s Maryland team has neither and already appears headed toward the bottom tier of the Big Ten.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss headed to the Acrisure Classic for Feast Week and came home winless, going 0-2 in the MTE. The first game wasn’t a disaster, as the Rebels lost by five to a well coached Iowa team, but they followed that with a third-place defeat to Utah. It was only a one point loss, yet Utah appears to be one of the weakest high majors in the country this season. Ole Miss is another team on this list where the panic level should remain relatively low, but the Rebels still delivered an underwhelming Feast Week showing. Chris Beard has proven to be one of the best coaches in the country, so Ole Miss should stabilize as long as it avoids further bad losses.