KU Jayhawks basketball could face top-10 team in ESPN Invitational: Here’s the field
No. 4-ranked Kansas and No. 10 Alabama will be joined by Miami of the ACC and five mid-majors at the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational set for Thursday, Friday and Sunday in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Jayhawks and Crimson Tide, the only teams in the tournament ranked in the AP men’s basketball Top 25, are on opposite sides of the bracket, thus will need to win two games apiece to assure a spot in what would be a marquee early-season matchup between the Big 12 and SEC teams.
It would be the first men’s basketball contest between the two schools.
Alabama placed third at the ESPN Events Invitational in 2009 and fifth in 2015. KU defeated Rhode Island, Tennessee and Michigan State to win the title in its only appearance in the event in 2014.
The Jayhawks will meet North Texas around 1:30 p.m. Central time Thursday, at HP Field House in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. If KU wins it would meet either Miami or Dayton in the semifinals currently scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Alabama and Iona will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday with the winner to face either Belmont or Drake (6:30 p.m. quarterfinal Thursday) on Friday in the semis.
Here’s a closer look at the four first-round matchups.
Dayton (1-3) vs. Miami (3-1), 11 a.m. Central time Thursday
Dayton, which won the ESPN Events Invitational in 2011 and placed second in 2015, is off to a 1-3 start in 2021-22.
Fifth-year coach Anthony Grant’s Flyers have defeated UIC (64-54) and lost to UMass-Lowell (59-58), Lipscomb (78-59) and Austin Peay (87-81).
Forward Toumani Camara, a preseason all-Atlantic 10 pick with Mustapha Amzil, averages 11.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Amzil, a forward from Finland, averages 5.5 points per outing.
The Flyers were picked to finish fifth in the 14-team Atlantic 10.
Miami, which placed fourth at the Thanksgiving-week tourney in 2016 in its only appearance, this season has defeated Florida A&M (86-59), Canisius (77-67) and Florida Atlantic (68-66) and lost to UCF (95-89).
Guard Isaiah Wong, a preseason all-ACC pick, averages 16.0 points a game.
Former Oklahoma guard Kameron McGusty averages 19.0 ppg. Former KU point guard Charlie Moore, who played for the Jayhawks in 2018-19 and also has played at Cal and DePaul, averages 11.3 ppg. A starter, he’s 6-of-18 from three with 12 assists to 12 turnovers.
Miami is led by 11th-year coach Jim Larranaga. His team is picked to finish 12th in the 15-team ACC.
Kansas (3-0) vs. North Texas (2-1), about 1:30 p.m. Thursday
North Texas, which is making its first appearance at the Events Invitational, has defeated Oklahoma Christian (84-53) and UT Arlington (64-36) and lost to Buffalo (69-66).
Fifth-year coach Grant McCasland’s UNT squad is led in scoring by guard Tylor Perry (17.3 ppg). Forward Thomas Bell (15,0 ppg) and guard Mardrez McBride (11.3 ppg) return from an 18-10 team that defeated Purdue (78-69 in overtime) in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. North Texas last postseason made its fourth-ever trip to the NCAAs.
The Mean Green have been picked to finish sixth in 14-team Conference USA.
Kansas has an all-time winning record versus six teams in the field. The Jayhawks are 22-3 against Drake, 3-1 versus Iona, 3-1 against Miami, 2-0 against Belmont, 2-1 versus Dayton and 1-0 against North Texas. The Jayhawks are 0-0 versus ‘Bama.
A KU-Dayton matchup in the second round Friday would be a rematch of the 2019 Maui Invitational final.
Devon Dotson scored 31 points and Udoka Azubuike 29 in then-No. 4-ranked KU’s 90-84 overtime victory over the Obi Toppin-led Flyers. Toppin scored 18 points for Dayton, which went 16-of-33 from three.
Alabama (4-0) vs. Iona (5-0), 4 p.m. Thursday
Alabama, which placed third at the ESPN Events Invitational in 2009 and fifth in 2015, is off to a 4-0 start with wins over Louisiana Tech (93-64), South Dakota State (104-88), South Alabama (73-68) and Oakland (86-59).
Third-year coach Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide are led in scoring by guards Jaden Shackelford (19.5 ppg) and Jahvon Quinerly (15.5 ppg). Freshman guard JD Davison (7.5 ppg) was ranked No. 13 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by RIvals.com.
Alabama is picked to finish second behind Kentucky in the SEC. The Crimson Tide play nonconference games against Gonzaga, Houston, Memphis and Baylor in additional to a possible meeting versus KU. Alabama went 26-7 in 2020-21, sweeping the SEC regular season and tournament championships. UCLA defeated Alabama (88-78) in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAAs.
Iona, which is led by Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, placed seventh at the Events Invitational in 2009. Second-year coach Rick Pitino’s Gaels are 5-0 this season with wins over North Alabama (81-65), Liberty (54-50), Hofstra (82-74), Harvard (90-87, OT) and Appalachian State (65-53).
Forward Nelly Junior Joseph leads the team in scoring (16.6 ppg). Former SMU guard Tyson Jolly is right behind (16.0 ppg).
Iona is picked to place first in the 11-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Pitino was hired on March 14, 2020 after Tim Cluess resigned for health reasons following the most successful decade in Iona basketball history. Pitino served as Panathinaikos B.C. coach in Greece for two seasons.
Belmont (3-2) vs. Drake (3-0), about 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Belmont, which is making its first appearance at the tourney, is 3-2 with wins over Kennesaw State (97-78), Furman (95-89, OT) and Evansville (81-43) and losses to Ohio (92-80) and LSU (83-53).
Third-year coach Casey Alexander’s Bruins return five starters from a team that went 26-4 a year ago.
Leading scorer is center Nick Muszynski (17.5 ppg). Ohio Valley Conference preseason player of the year Grayson Murphy, a guard, averages 11.5 ppg.
Belmont is picked to win the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference
Belmont, 40-of-106 from three this season, has made the most three-point field goals in the country since switching from the NAIA to NCAA Division I in 1996-97.
The Bruins are switching from the OVC to the Missouri Valley next season.
Drake, a team making its first appearance in this event, has defeated Richmond (73-70), South Dakota (99-50) and Coe (87-61).
Guard Tremell Murphy leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg). Guard Roman Penn, a first-team all-Missouri Valley preseason pick, is right behind at 12.0 ppg.
Third-year coach Darian DeVries’ Bulldogs are the pick to win the 10-team Missouri Valley, ahead of Loyola of Chicago.
The Bulldogs are coming off three of the most successful seasons in program history and the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years, going 26-5 a year ago.
A KU-Drake final would pit KU sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu against his former team. He transferred to KU this past offseason.
