The NFL might dominate the traditional Thanksgiving sports schedule, but college basketball has put together quite a slate as well. This year, it starts with the Old Spice Classic, which tips off at noon ET, and is followed by the Battle 4 Atlantis, which begins at 1 p.m. Here are the biggest games to watch. All times Eastern:
College basketball schedule: Battle 4 Atlantis and Old Spice Classic tip off on Thanksgiving
Maui might be over and the NIT might be off, but there’s still plenty of great basketball in store for Thanksgiving.
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Purdue vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (Old Spice Classic, Noon, ESPN2)
You could argue that no team in the country has been more impressive than Oklahoma State in November. The Cowboys have scored at least 93 points in each of their five games -- all wins -- and defeated then-No. 11 Memphis by 21 points last week. Five Oklahoma State players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Player of the Year candidate Marcus Smart. Purdue has started strong as well, but has not faced any competition even close to what it will see on Thursday. Sophomore guard Ronnie Johnson leads a balanced Boilermaker attack with 13.8 points and 4.4 assists per contest.
Wake Forest vs. No. 2 Kansas (Battle 4 Atlantis, 3:30 p.m., AXS)
Oklahoma State's conference rival Kansas features a Player of the Year candidate of its own. Andrew Wiggins and the Jayhawks begin their quest for a Battle 4 Atlantis title against a Wake Forest team that is 5-0 and one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Wggins and Perry Ellis are both averaging 16.8 points through four games, including an 11-point win over Duke. Ellis and center Joel Embiid will have to contend with Wake Forest big man Devin Thomas, who has averaged 14.4 points and 11.6 rebounds this season. His best performance came against VMI when he scored 20, grabbed 17 boards and blocked two shots.
No. 25 Marquette vs. Cal State Fullerton (Wooden Legacy, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Marquette will try to rebound from its second loss of the year against a struggling Cal State Fullerton team. The Titans have lost two straight, though one of them was against USC. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, suffered both of their losses on the road against quality opponents. Marquette has had a tough time scoring overall this year, ranking 266th in the nation in points per game. Todd Mayo and Davonte Gardner have handled much of the offense for Marquette through five games. The Titans are led by Alex Harris, who has missed the last two games with an ankle sprain.
No. 21 Memphis vs. Siena (Old Spice Classic, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Memphis has played just three games this year: two dominant performances against low-majors and a humiliating loss on the road to Oklahoma State. Siena may present an unexpected challenge for the Tigers. The Saints are just 2-3, but two of those losses were close ones against Purdue and La Salle -- quality competition. Guard Rob Poole leads the Saints with 15.5 points per game, while freshman Nick King paces Memphis with 16 points and 6.3 rebounds. Memphis has been efficient offensively through three games, converting 49 percent of its shots, good for an average of 91 total points.
No. 23 Iowa vs. Xavier (Battle 4 Atlantis, 7 p.m., NBCSN)
The Hawkeyes will get a serious test for the first time this year when they face the Musketeers in the Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals. Iowa has won its first five games by an average of 38 points and has broken the century mark in scoring twice. Surprisingly, no one player dominates the scoring column for Iowa; instead, the Hawkeyes have seven players averaging more than seven points per game. Xavier also comes in unbeaten, though the Musketeers do boast a win over Tennessee. Junior Matt Stainbrook is a consistent double-double threat as the team’s best rebounder and second-leading scorer.
Nevada vs. No. 19 UCLA (Las Vegas Invitational, 7:30 p.m., ESPN3)
You don’t often see a player lead a national power in both rebounds and assists, but that’s exactly what Kyle Anderson has done for UCLA. The St. Anthony product is also averaging 11.6 points per game and recorded a triple-double last week against Morehead State. But when you talk about UCLA’s scoring, it all starts with Jordan Adams. The sophomore has scored at least 20 points in four of the Bruins’ five game. Nevada is 3-3 with some ugly losses, but those losses certainly haven’t been because of Deonte Burton. He has been one of the best scorers in the nation in the early going, putting up 24.5 per night.
No. 20 Creighton vs. Arizona State (Wooden Legacy, 11 p.m., ESPN2)
If the turkey hasn't put you to sleep by 11, you might want to tune into this one. By now, we all know what Doug McDermott can do, and he's a big reason why the Bluejays can win the Big East. But Creighton faces another undefeated team, Arizona State, who knocked off Marquette last week. Jordan Bachynski was the star of that game. One of his seven blocks came at the buzzer on what could have been a game-tying shot from the Golden Eagles. Bachynski going up against McDermott could make for one of the more exciting individual matchups of the non-conference season.
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